Upon completion, Amazon’s new planned wind farm in Cork, Ireland is expected to provide 23.2 MW of renewable capacity. Another project in Virginia, USA will provide 45 MW of renewable capacity. These wind farms will supply energy to Amazon’s Web Service datacentres. The production of clean energy from these wind farms is expected to begin in 2020.

While Amazon’s investments into renewable energy have garnered praise from certain notable people like Virginia Senator Mark Warner, some remain concerned by the company’s net emissions. Over 6,000 Amazon employees signed a letter outlining six initiatives for Amazon to adopt in pursuit of climate sustainability, including a complete transition away from fossil fuels. The continued investment into renewable energy is a step in that direction, but in 2018, the purchase of 20,000 new combustion engine delivery vans highlighted the largest cause of Amazon’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Amazon’s supply chain practices have been one of the largest reasons for its success, though these practices have remained the subject of sustainability concerns. The practice of next-day shipping and fast-paced overseas shipping has led to criticism of Amazon’s carbon footprint, statistics of which have not been disclosed by Amazon but have been promised by the company sometime this year. Until these releases, investments in clean energy could be a sign of a more renewable future for the company.

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