Amazon has become the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the US, in addition to already being the largest buyer in Europe. The company took the crown from Google, which had previously been the largest corporate green energy customer, since 2015.
The company this week announced 14 new renewable energy projects in the US, Canada, Finland, and Spain.
Amazon now has total renewable energy investments of more than 10GW across 232 projects globally. These include 85 utility-scale wind and solar projects as well as 147 solar rooftops on facilities and stores.
“We’re driving hard to fulfill The Climate Pledge—our commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Our investments in wind and solar energy in the US and around the world send a signal that investing in green technologies is the right thing to do for the planet and citizens—as well as for the long-term success of businesses of all sizes across all industries everywhere.”
11 of the 14 new projects are based in the US. These include Amazon’s first solar projects in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and additional projects in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. The company now has 54 projects in the US totaling 6GW and is the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the country.
The company also added a second renewable project in Canada; a 375MW solar farm in Alberta due to come online in 2022.
In Europe, Amazon has invested in its first renewable energy project in Finland through a 52MW wind farm located near the country’s west coast due to start operation in 2022 and added a fifth solar project in Spain that will generate 152MW from 2023.
In April the company announced nine new renewable projects across the US, Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The company said the 2.5GW of renewable energy capacity it is buying in Europe makes it the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the region. At the time the company said its investments meant it is due to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2025; five years ahead of its original target of 2030.
“A new level of ambition across the private sector is necessary to accelerate decarbonization of the power system. Amazon’s leadership in investing and adopting renewable energy around the world paves the way for new innovation, and the ability to scale at the pace needed to address the real threats to the planet, people, and businesses posed by climate change,” said Miranda Ballentine, CEO of Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA).
It's a sign of progress in renewable energy use, that when Google announced it was the world's largest green energy customer, back in 2015, it had bought a total of 2GW - one-fifth the amount Amazon has now racked up.
