Amazon to source power from Canada's largest solar farm, emerges as world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy

Source: William Mathis · FINANCIAL POST · | June 23, 2021

The deal will bring Amazon's capacity in Canada to more than 1 million MWh, enough to power more than 100,000 Canadian homes

Source: Pixabay

Amazon.com Inc. signed deals to buy power from 14 wind and solar farms across Canada, the United States and Europe, bolstering its position as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable electricity.

The latest push is part of the company’s plan to use renewable sources for all of its power needs by 2025. Amazon’s latest batch of green electricity deals are for a total capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, the company said in an emailed statement.

“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 Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and chief executive officer.

Amazon will buy power from renewable projects in U.S. states including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. It will also get electricity from a solar farm in Alberta, that will have a capacity of 375 megawatts, making it the country’s largest when it comes online in 2022. It will bring Amazon‘s capacity in Canada to more than 1 million megawatt hours (MWh), enough to power more than 100,000 Canadian homes.

“Amazon‘s announcement of a 375 MW deal doubles the total announced VPPAs (virtual power purchase agreements) in Canada this year. This transaction supports construction of the largest solar farm in Canada and expands Amazon‘s leadership as a corporate buyer of renewable energy. The scale of the PPA demonstrates continued growth of the Canadian renewables market,” said Rebecca Nadel, Director of the Business Renewables Centre, Canada.