Renewables

Amazon to buy power from solar farm at old coal mine site

The company said it has invested in 78 new solar and wind energy projects so far in 2023.
Amazon to buy power from solar farm at old coal mine site
(Photo: Maryland Department of the Environment.)

Amazon announced a plan to purchase power from a solar farm to be built on the site of a recently closed coal mine in Maryland.

Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) is developing the 170 MW Backbone solar project on the former Vindex/Arch Coal mine in Garrett County, Maryland.

Amazon said this is the company’s first brownfield solar project. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S., which many see as an opportunity for renewable energy projects.

The CPV Backbone project is expected to be the largest solar farm in Maryland once completed.

Amazon said it has invested in 78 new solar and wind energy projects so far in 2023. The company now sources power from 479 wind and solar projects around the world.

Since 2020, Amazon has purchased more renewable energy than any other company, according to BloombergNEF. The company now aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, Amazon fulfillment centers, physical stores and corporate offices.

Amazon is also announcing 10 new renewable projects in Texas, including the company’s third-largest solar project, a 500 MW solar farm in Webb County, Texas. Amazon is also investing in a new wind farm and eight additional solar farms in Texas.

The company now has a total of 23 renewable energy projects across the Lonestar State.

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