The retail giant has supplemented 100% of electricity consumption in its operations with investments in renewable energy by 2023.
From pv magazine USA
In 2019, Amazon set a goal to power all electricity used in its global operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030. The company recently announced that it will have achieved this goal by 2023, seven years ahead of schedule.
To be clear, Amazon is not a zero-carbon company. The retail giant uses gas trucks and flies commercial aircraft. Some of the data centers are operated on electricity grids that are still largely based on fossil fuels.
In many cases, Amazon meets its electricity demand by investing in Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), documents that represent a financial investment in off-site renewable energy capacity. RECs are a common path for companies pursuing clean energy purchasing goals. However, RECs have been shown to have this a limited impact on increased renewable energy production.
Nevertheless, Amazon has invested billions of dollars in more than 500 solar and wind projects worldwide, powering the equivalent of about 7.6 million American homes. And it has made a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, which would include low-carbon transportation and logistics, which is no easy task. While a REC-based achievement of this goal would make great headlines, true direct decarbonization of Amazon’s own operations will take time.
“We knew from the start that our path to net zero would have many obstacles and would require adapting to changes in both our business and the world. Nevertheless, as with all of our long-term goals, we remain optimistic and focused on achieving them,” Amazon said in a press release.
In total, Amazon’s renewable energy portfolio will help prevent an estimated 27.8 million tons of carbon per year once all projects are operational.
In addition to investing in utility-scale projects, the company has also enabled nearly 300 on-site solar projects on the rooftops and properties of Amazon fulfillment centers, Whole Foods Market stores and other corporate buildings around the world.
Amazon’s commitment to renewable energy also goes beyond investments. The company has become involved in developing solutions for installation problems with the network interconnection Perhaps the most serious bottlenecks to the clean energy transition are in the United States.
“According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world needs to add or replace 80 million kilometers of electricity grids by 2040 to meet climate goals, and more than 1,500 GW of renewable energy projects are lined up globally,” Amazon said. “To help address this, teams across Amazon are working with energy regulators to find new ways to support grid modernization, remove permitting barriers and deploy grid-improving technologies.”
Overall, Amazon reported a 3% reduction in emissions by 2023, the largest reduction since its 2019 climate pledge.
read more pv magazine USA coverage of Amazon’s solar activity here.
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