Amazon adds 37 new renewable energy projects

Amazon green energy plans

Amazon announced 37 new renewable energy projects, as part of its vision to power 100 percent of its operations with renewable energy by 2025.

Amazon said investment in new projects increase the capacity of Amazon’s renewable energy portfolio by nearly 30 percent, from 12.2 gigawatts (GW) to 15.7 GW, and bring the total number of renewable energy projects to 310 across 19 countries.

The additional 3.5 GW of clean energy capacity from these new projects extends Amazon’s leadership position as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, and advances its efforts to meet The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, said: “We have 310 wind and solar projects across 19 countries, and are working hard to reach our goal of powering 100 percent of our business on renewable energy by 2025—five years ahead of our original target of 2030.”

The 37 new projects are located across the U.S., Spain, France, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. There are three new wind farms, 26 new solar farms, and eight new rooftop solar installations at its buildings.

As a result of these projects, Amazon now has a total of 310 renewable energy projects, including 134 wind and solar farms and 176 rooftop solar projects.

Amazon’s 310 projects are expected to produce 42,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy each year—enough electricity output to power 3.9 million U.S. homes annually. The carbon-free energy generated by these projects will also help avoid 17.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, avoiding the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 3.7 million cars in the U.S. each year.

The new projects include a 300-megawatt (MW) solar project paired with 150 MW of battery storage in Arizona and a 150 MW solar project paired with 75 MW of battery storage in California. Combined, the two projects double Amazon’s total announced solar paired with energy storage from 220 MW to 445 MW.

“Amazon’s recent announcement highlights the increasingly sophisticated strategies used by energy customers to deploy carbon-free energy projects across the nation and the world, and the critical role energy customers play in optimizing emissions reductions,” said Miranda Ballentine, CEO of Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA).

“Amazon continues to be a leader in rapidly scaling up renewable energy projects here in the U.S. This increasingly includes hybrid projects that pair energy storage with renewable energy generation, unlocking the ability to use clean reliable energy throughout all hours of the day,” said Heather Zichal CEO of the American Clean Power Association (ACP).