Amazon is scaling its renewable energy portfolio by announcing 18 new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects in the U.S., UK, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Spain, representing 2 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity. Along with projects announced earlier this year, the new projects mean Amazon will add 5.6 GW of new renewable energy capacity in 2021, moving Amazon further down the path to power operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 – five years earlier than the original target of 2030. The 5.6 GW of electricity production capacity procured in 2021 is a 40% increase from the 4 GW procured in 2020.

The latest update includes a wind farm in Ballyheel, Northern Ireland, which brings Amazon’s energy portfolio to 245 MW on Ireland’s all-island grid, and its total UK portfolio to more than 545 MW of wind energy.

These new utility-scale wind and solar projects bring Amazon’s total committed renewable electricity production capacity to more than 12 GW and 33,700 gigawatt hours (GWh) when the projects become fully operational, or electricity output equivalent to powering more than 9 million European homes for a year.

The projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfilment centres, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres, supporting millions of customers globally. They will also help Amazon meet its commitment to produce the clean energy equivalent of the electricity used by all consumer Echo devices. The amount of clean energy produced by these projects will avoid the equivalent of the annual emissions of nearly 3 million cars in the U.S. each year, or about 13.7 million metric tons.

“We are moving quickly and deliberately to reduce our carbon emissions and address the climate crisis,” said Kara Hurst, vice president of worldwide sustainability at Amazon. “Significant investments in renewable energy globally are an important step in delivering on The Climate Pledge, our commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. Renewable energy projects also bring new investment, green jobs, and advance the decarbonisation of the electricity systems in communities around the world.”

Following the announcement, Amazon is the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world, with 274 global projects including 105 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 169 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide.

The 18 new wind and solar projects announced include:

  • Projects in Italy, Spain, and Northern Ireland: Amazon’s new solar project in Italy is the company’s third in the country, adding 40 MW on top of the 66 MW already enabled. In Spain, Amazon’s four new solar projects together add more than 630 MW to the grid. A new wind project in Northern Ireland brings Amazon’s portfolio to 245 MW on Ireland’s all-island grid and its total UK portfolio to more than 545 MW of wind energy. In total, Amazon has enabled more than 3.5 GW of renewable energy in Europe through 34 projects, making it the largest procurer of renewable energy in Europe.
  • Four new renewable projects in the Nordics: Amazon added 158 MW through four wind projects in Finland, bringing its total renewable energy portfolio across the Nordics to more than 950 MW.

  • Eight new projects across the U.S.: Amazon added more than 1 GW of utility-scale solar projects in the U.S., including Amazon’s first solar projects in Arizona and Georgia, and additional projects in Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. In total, Amazon has enabled more than 6 GW of renewable energy in the U.S. through 62 projects.

  • A second solar project paired with energy storage: Based in Arizona, Amazon’s second solar project paired with energy storage enables the company to align solar generation with periods of the greatest demand, even when the sun is not shining. The 300-megawatt (MW) solar project is paired with a 150-MW battery energy storage system and brings Amazon’s battery storage projects to 220 MW.

To see Amazon’s renewable energy projects around the world, visit our interactive map.

“Amazon’s procurement of 12 GW of renewable energy capacity globally is a strong testament to the company’s commitment to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040,” said Hannah Hunt, impact director at RE-Source, a corporate renewable energy sourcing platform in Europe. “The company’s 10 new renewable energy operations across Europe will benefit communities, bring new green jobs, and help meet our commitments to curb the climate crisis.”

Find out more about sustainability at Amazon.