Tech giant Amazon is investing in its first Canadian wind farm.
The company said it will partner with developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on a 495-megawatt capacity wind farm to be built in Vulcan County in southern Alberta, The Canadian Press reports.
The announcement on Thursday marks Amazon’s fourth renewable energy project in Canada and comes on the heels of the recent opening of the company’s Travers Solar Project, which is also located in southern Alberta and is the largest solar farm ever constructed in Canada.
That project, together with the newly announced wind farm, will help power Amazon’s local operations in Alberta, including its fulfilment and sortation centres, delivery stations and an Amazon Web Services data centre.
Amazon previously invested in two other projects in the province, a smaller solar farm in Newell County and a rooftop solar project at a delivery station in Nisku.
The company is one of a growing number of large corporations that are seeking to fulfill their own environmental commitments by entering into long-term renewable electricity contracts known as power purchase agreements (PPAs).
The Alberta electricity market in particular has seen a significant increase in corporate PPAs in recent years, a trend that has contributed to the rapid growth of the renewable energy sector in the province.
“Amazon demonstrates strong leadership in contracting the renewable energy they need to power their operations in Alberta,” said Evan Wilson, vice-president of policy at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
“There is a similar demand from corporate customers across Canada who want to power their operations with renewable energy.”
Amazon has committed to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030, and says it is on track to reach that goal ahead of schedule.
The company currently has 479 wind and solar projects globally.
Besides Amazon, other companies that have signed renewable power purchase agreements in Canada in recent years include RBC, Shopify, Telus, and Ikea.
This Canadian Press story was first published on November 16, 2023.
