How Amazon Procured the Most Renewable Energy in 2024

By embracing renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydro, corporations not only diminish their carbon emissions but also reduce reliance on fossil fuels, yielding benefits that resonate both within their operations and the broader environment.
In 2022, companies set a new benchmark by securing 36.7GW through corporate renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs), as reported by BloombergNEF.
Remarkably, this represents about 10% of the global additions to renewable power capacity in that year alone.
At the forefront of this green revolution, Amazon stands as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, boasting more than 600 projects worldwide.
This strategic move not only advances solar and wind ventures, particularly in areas burdened by pollution, but significantly contributes to the reduction of emissions.
Amazon: A renewable energy powerhouse
Amazon’s commitment to transitioning fully to renewable energy is evident, holding the title of the top purchaser globally for the past five years.
This robust approach is central to its sustainability strategy.
“Amazon isn’t just the top corporate purchaser of solar and wind, we’re also prioritising projects in the locations where they can have the biggest impact on curbing emissions and improving the local environment,” Amazon’s CSO Kara Hurst says.
“When it comes to addressing climate change, speed and location matter.
“From collaborating on new energy policies, to accelerating renewables in underserved regions, Amazon is working to help decarbonise grids around the world as quickly as possible.”
Amazon's efforts extend beyond mere purchasing; it actively supports the development of new renewable projects.
Without Amazon's intervention, many of these projects might not come to fruition.
These initiatives collectively could power up to 8.3 million US homes.
Amazon’s strategy includes situating projects on grids that are predominantly powered by carbon-intensive sources.
Here, interventions such as solar or wind farms can significantly lower carbon emissions while helping to phase out less sustainable energy sources.
Amazon’s journey in renewable energy
Amazon's foray into green energy is expansive, boasting more than 600 wind and solar projects on a global scale.
The company has made significant investments in areas historically reliant on fossil fuels, choosing strategic locations including multiple countries such as Australia, China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Poland and South Africa, and states like Louisiana and Mississippi in the US.
Such strategic placements aim to maximise the impact of its renewable energy initiatives in significantly curbing emissions and enhancing local environmental conditions.
In its 2023 sustainability report, it was revealed that Amazon achieved its target of matching 100% of electricity consumed by its operations with renewable energy, a milestone reached seven years ahead of schedule.
Noteworthy projects include the Great Prairie wind farm in Texas, the Daqing wind farm in China, producing over 300,000MWh of clean energy annually and a significant solar farm in Brazil which represents Amazon's first venture into South America accompanied by environmental investments.
“Building renewable energy anywhere is a good thing, but studies show that building projects in hard-to-decarbonise communities drives the greatest environmental impact — an important step that too many companies are leaving behind,” Gavin McCormick, Executive Director of WattTime and Co-Founder of Climate TRACE says.
“Amazon is proving it is possible to bring renewable energy to high-impact regions like Poland, South Africa and India.
“While these regions might be challenging to build in, they aren’t impossible and these investments are a critical step to helping slow the pace of climate change.”
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