Recently, Amazon announced an agreement with Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC), the electric cooperative that serves Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Umatilla and Morrow counties. This agreement creates an innovative solution that safely and reliably powers data centers in the region and keeps Amazon on a path to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.
The agreement allows Amazon to take on the responsibility of selecting the energy supply that powers its data center operations, including from renewable energy resources. UEC continues to be an essential partner and provider of reliable utility service to AWS data centers in UEC’s service territory. Amazon’s energy supply from its utilities, combined with its renewable energy procurement across the United States, has enabled several AWS data center regions — including its U.S. West (Ore.) Region—to be powered with at least 95 percent renewable energy.
“We’re proud of our work in Oregon, and this new agreement with Umatilla Electric Cooperative is the latest example of how we’re working closely with the community. In addition to AWS investing over $15 billion in the state economy since 2011, and recycling up to 96 percent of AWS cooling water to provide millions of gallons of water to local farmers each year, we’re now able to directly invest in renewable energy across the Pacific Northwest to help power AWS operations in Oregon. We’re grateful for the collaboration with UEC, which will help us stay on a path to meeting 100 percent renewable energy by 2025,” said Charley Daitch, director of Energy and Water at AWS.
Historically, utilities have been responsible for sourcing an energy supply for their customers. To enable a faster transition to renewable energy, Amazon has been innovating by working with utilities to directly bring new wind and solar projects onto the grid.
Amazon has been the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy every year since 2020 — sending a demand signal that also helps to further increase supply. Amazon is committed to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040 and is on a path to powering its operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2025. As of today, Amazon has already reached more than 85 percent renewable energy globally across its offices, fulfillment centers, stores, and AWS data centers.
Contributed by: Amazon Staff
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