LCG, November 24, 2015-Amazon.com Inc. announced late last week that it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with EDP Renewables for the power generated by the the 100-MW Amazon Wind Farm US Central in Ohio.
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The 103 General Electric wind turbines used to generate the 175 MW of power reduce carbon emissions by as much as 374,000 metric tons per year when compared to traditional energy generation such as natural gas or coal. Any energy created by the facility will be pumped back into the electrical grid that supplies current and future AWS data centres. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.
In Jan 2015, AWS agreed to buy power from a 150 MW wind farm in IN operated by Pattern Energy Group.
EDP Renewables has been contracted to construct and operate the project – dubbed Amazon Wind Farm US central – in Paulding County, Ohio.
“Our previously announced renewable energy projects put AWS on track to surpass our goal of 40 percent renewable energy globally by the end of 2016”. The wind energy system is somewhat smaller than others of its kind, but Amazon has high hopes that it will become a valuable source of electrical power once development is completed.
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Amazon has a public commitment to move completely to renewable energy, but has taken considerable heat from organizations like Greenpeace for a perceived lack of urgency or a clear roadmap to this goal. In April 2015, Amazon announced a pilot of Tesla’s energy storage batteries that are created to help bridge the gap between intermittent production, from sources like wind, and the datacenter’s constant power demand. It will produce enough electricity to power more than 29,000 USA homes a year. And in July 2015, AWS announced Amazon Wind Farm US East in North Carolina, which is expected to generate more than 670,000 MWh of energy annually. “Building upon news from earlier this year that AWS would develop cloud data centers in OH, we are excited that AWS is making another significant investment here and look forward to partnering with Amazon as it continues to grow in our state”.
