Amazon Launches First Brownfield Solar Project

Amazon announces its first brownfield solar project, which will be built over a reclaimed coal mine site in Maryland, and its first renewable energy project in South Korea.

The company has invested in 78 new solar and wind energy projects so far in 2023, including the company’s first brownfield project — which will repurpose a previously polluted Maryland coal mine site into a solar farm , plus its first renewable energy project in South Korea and 10 new renewable energy projects across Texas.

Amazon has a total of 479 wind and solar projects globally. Once they are operational, they are expected to generate more than 71,900 gigawatt-hours of clean energy.

The tech company has renewables in 26 countries and 21 U.S. states, including new projects in Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia so far in 2023, as well as Canada, Greece, and South Korea. 

The clean energy generated by Amazon's projects are moving the company closer to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, Amazon fulfillment centers, physical stores, and corporate offices, while also providing new sources of clean power to local communities where the projects are located.

“Amazon’s investments in solar and wind projects are helping power our operations, while also providing new sources of clean energy to the grid, spurring economic growth, and supporting jobs in the communities where our customers live and work,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS, in a statement. “More than 90% of our operations were powered by renewables last year, but we’re not done. We’re focused on continuing to find innovative ways to bring new projects online, address grid constraints, and work with policymakers to mitigate the impacts of climate change, all of which is helping Amazon move closer to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2025.”