ENGIE, Amazon sign contract for 650 MW of renewable energy

Under a series of corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) agreed last week, Amazon will buy up 650 MW of renewable energy offtake from electric utility company ENGIE.

The surge of power will stem from wind and solar projects in the United States, Italy, and France.

For ENGIE, this represents the largest portfolio of agreements signed at once with a single organization.

For Amazon, it marks a major inroad to achieving power from 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

“These contracts demonstrate ENGIE’s capabilities to commercialize green energy internationally for our customers,” said Gwenaëlle Avice-Huet, ENGIE’s executive vice president in charge of the Renewables Business Line and CEO of ENGIE North America. “And in North America – as elsewhere – we recognize that bold commitments are needed from global companies and local communities alike to lead the way to clean energy use. We are excited to work with Amazon to create a clean, prosperous, low carbon future – and create economic benefits for the communities involved.”

The majority of the power being provided to Amazon will come from the United States, with 569 MW stemming from Delaware, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. This will amount to approximately 1,850 GWh of power annually. However, producing facilities still need to be built and should reach commercial operation between 2021 and 2022.

“These new projects with ENGIE represent our first utility-scale renewable energy projects in Italy and France in Europe and our first projects in Delaware and Kansas in the United States,” Nat Sahlstrom, director of Amazon Energy, said. “They substantially help us on our path to powering our operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.”

The power provided in Europe will flow from two solar facilities located in southern Italy and another in southern France.