Amazon has partnered with Nevada-based utility NV Energy to support the deployment of 700MW of low-carbon energy to power its data center operations in the Reno area.
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The deal will see Amazon support NV to add 100MW of geothermal capacity to its portfolio. The addition will be led by US geothermal discovery firm Zanskar, which earlier this month entered into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NV to deliver 100MW of geothermal capacity to the utility. According to the companies, Zanskar will deliver power by 2030, encompassing a range of projects to be constructed and operated by Zanskar and then sold as a portfolio to NV Energy.
Salt Lake City-based Zanskar uses proprietary AI to identify "hidden" geothermal spots and reduce exploration drilling risks. As of April this year, it has closed a $40 million development capital facility to support project development, as well as a $115m funding round.
The deal is Amazon’s first within the geothermal sector. It joins Meta, Google, and Microsoft in backing geothermal, with Google also signing a deal with NV Energy to procure geothermal power. Meta has signed two deals in the space with XGS and Sage Geosystems.
The second part of the agreement with NV Energy will see Amazon support the construction of 600MW of solar plus 600MW of battery storage from Primergy. The exact projects tied to the agreement have not been disclosed; however, Primergy has a sizable portfolio in Nevada, with a combined capacity of up to 2.65GW of solar and 1.5GW of battery storage.
According to Amazon, the deal with Primergy will extend the value of solar beyond daylight hours, ensuring around-the-clock reliability for its data center portfolio in the region.
Amazon currently operates data center facilities in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC), located in Storey County just east of Reno. The exact capacity of the data centers has not been disclosed.
NV Energy is a major public utility company that provides electricity and natural gas to a large portion of Nevada, including Las Vegas and Reno.
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