Amazon announced that it has achieved its goal of powering its global operations with 100% renewable energy, reaching the milestone in 2023, seven years ahead of its original goal. The company first set this clean energy goal in 2019. The goal is that by 2030, all electricity consumed in its global operations, including data centers, corporate buildings, stores and fulfillment centers, will be 100 percent renewable . Amazon’s share of renewable energy was 42 percent.
Since then, the company has invested billions in clean energy development and for the past four years has been the largest buyer of renewable energy companies in the world, according to Bloomberg NEF. Amazon has invested in more than 500 renewable energy projects around the world, including more than 240 solar and wind farms, 10 battery storage projects, six offshore wind projects and nearly 300 on-site solar panels. This renewable energy portfolio is expected to avoid approximately 27.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year when all projects are operational.
This renewable energy goal is part of Amazon’s broader Climate Pledge commitment to net zero by 2040. Amazon has noted that its path to net zero is evolving with increasing demand for generative AI that requires different energy sources. To meet its growing energy needs, Amazon plans to continue to invest heavily in renewable energy and explore new carbon-free energy sources such as nuclear power, battery storage and new technologies..