Online retail giant Amazon sets a record 8.3 GW of renewable power deals in 2022, giving it access to a 'utility-scale' total 20 GW-plus haul of green capacity, according to the US company.
Amazon stated that last year's surge of activity had kept it at the top of the worldwide corporate renewable energy buyers' league, where it has remained since 2020, amid a green push that has often seen multibillionaire founder Jeff Bezos take center stage in celebrating the company's aspirations.
"Amazon's clean energy portfolio now among the leading utilities globally as well,” said Kyle Harrison, head of sustainability research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, cited by the retailer.
Sometimes the target of criticism in other spheres of its business such as unionisation, its effect on competitors or wider impact on the environment, Amazon points to a long-time policy of signing renewable power purchasing agreements that it says have underpinned the bankability of numerous green projects.
PPAs have been especially important in assisting Amazon, like other major corporate buyers in the technology sector such as Google and Facebook, in greening supplies to its massively power-hungry fleet of data centers.
Last year’s deals – Amazon on Tuesday said it had completed 133 agreements in 11 countries – spanned European offshore wind, Texas and Californian solar and inroads into Asian markets such as Indonesia, India and Japan. The company’s forays last year included a California solar-battery project deal.
These renewable energy purchases bring Amazon closer to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of its original 2030 target.