Amazon is now the top corporate buyer for renewable energy in the U.S..
Key details
The number of U.S. corporations buying clean energy has taken off recently. Many large businesses are purchasing clean energy, like wind and solar.
And Amazon tops the list. The company’s energy purchases strive toward its goal to power 100% of its activities with renewable energy by 2025.
Amazon has recently signed 25 contracts for five gigawatts of capacity on its own.
Between 2020 and 2021, Amazon’s electricity consumption rose by nearly 29%. The company has purchased 19 gigawatts’ worth of clean power to date, according to Bloomberg.
The next largest corporate energy buyer is Microsoft, which only has nine gigawatts, half of what Amazon has purchased.
Why it’s important
Amazon is typically an industry leader. The company is very powerful and when it does something, others usually follow suit.
Amazon buying loads of clean energy is a sign that the corporate demand for clean energy is growing.
Recently, the company announced that it will be launching 14 new energy projects in North America and Europe in hopes to decarbonize business operations and reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
This latest announcement means the company now has 232 renewable energy projects around the world, including 85 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 147 solar rooftops on facilities and stores across the globe.
The energy projects will consist of both utility-scale solar and wind projects. The projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfillment centers, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers that support millions of customers around the world, according to Amazon. The company also plans for the projects to produce enough renewable energy to cover all electricity used by Amazon Echo devices.
Amazon has other plans to reduce emissions as well. The company has plans to make all shipments net-zero carbo, with 50% net-zero carbon by 2030, purchasing 100,000 electric delivery vehicles, and investing $2 billion in the development of decarbonizing services and solutions through the Climate Pledge Fund.
Notable quote
“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 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. “Our investments in wind and solar energy in the U.S. 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.”
Largest renewable energy buyers in 2021
- Amazon 6.2 gigawatts
- Microsoft 6.15 gigawatts
- Meta/Facebook 2.2 gigawatts
