28 September 2023
Amazon
digital
Communities where Amazon wind and solar farms are located experienced more than $12 billion in additional investment from 2014 through 2022.
Fighting climate change is the biggest challenge of
our time. One of the most impactful ways we can mitigate climate change is by
deploying large-scale renewable energy projects such as wind and solar farms,
enabling our electrical grids to shift away from fossil fuels to clean
electricity.
To date, Amazon has announced more than 400 renewable energy
projects globally. When fully operational, these projects combined are expected
to help generate enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than 5.3
million U.S. homes. This work has resulted in Amazon becoming the world’s
largest corporate buyer of renewable energy—a position it has held for the last
three years. This is one of the ways Amazon is leading the way toward more
clean energy at scale.
Bringing new clean energy sources to market is not the only
reason Amazon makes these investments—the projects can also generate real
economic growth in the communities in which these solar and wind farms are
developed and operated.
With the project due to come online later this year, crews assemble the final wind turbines at Amazon Wind Farm Ireland–Gusta Gaoithe.
If you ever witnessed the mammoth turning blades of
a wind farm, or seen an array of solar panels tracking the sun, you understand
how sophisticated and involved these projects are, requiring many steps,
stages, and people to construct.
A renewable energy project first requires manufacturing of solar panels
or wind turbines. The construction requires workers with highly specialized
skill sets, including heavy machinery operators, construction workers,
electricians, welders, and more. After construction is complete, plant
managers, solar panel technicians, wind turbine technicians, grounds
maintenance crews, and many others help keep the farm operating.
Sheep owned by a local farmer are used to graze under panels at Amazon Solar Farm Kentucky–Turkey Creek.
Newly released data from Amazon shows that the company’s solar and wind farms globally have helped to generate more than $12 billion in investments in communities from 2014 through 2022. And in 2022, these utility-scale renewable energy projects supported more than 39,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
These numbers are impressive, but they can also be
hard to appreciate without real-world examples. We visited individuals in our
communities who have directly benefited from these projects by gaining new jobs
or benefiting economically as a result of their development. Here are a few of
the people behind the numbers.
Allen Hull, solar plant manager, walks through and assesses solar panels
at Amazon Solar Farm Ohio–Yellowbud.
Allen Hull is the solar plant manager at Amazon
Solar Farm Ohio–Yellowbud, a 274 megawatt (MW) solar farm about one hour south
of Columbus, Ohio. Hull grew up in the area, a rolling landscape filled with
corn, soybean, and dairy farms. And now, that landscape includes Yellowbud,
where Hull oversees the day-to-day operations at the solar farm.
After high school, Hull served in the U.S. Marine
Corps, returning to his native Ohio four years later to work in the area’s
paper mill, like his parents and grandparents. For over three decades, Hull
focused on electronics and training the next generation of electricians to
service the mill. When he finally decided he wanted a career change, Hull
didn’t need to look any further than across the road from his home, where
developer National Grid Renewables was building a solar farm supported by
Amazon.
Hull decided that he would like to be a part of that change. A neighbor working on the construction of Yellowbud suggested to Hull that he should apply to be the manager. He got the job.
“It was a big change at 56-years-old—not only changing jobs, but changing careers, and changing companies,” Hull said. “Yellowbud is an injection, almost a permanent injection, of income into our township, county, and school system, and it's good to be a part of those things. When it comes to adopting change, it absolutely can be hard, but you have to look at the benefits. It is a positive change in this area, and for me and my family. It was new, it was scary, but we have absolutely zero regrets about making that change.”
Awadhesh Kumar, senior engineer, at work at the Amazon Solar Farm India–Rajasthan Jaisalmer.
Awadhesh Kumar is a senior engineer at Amazon Solar Farm India–Rajasthan Jaisalmer, a solar power plant located near Jaisalmer in the border state of Rajasthan, developed in partnership with ReNew.
But it’s the broader purpose of the work that
inspires Kumar and those around him.
It is the broader purpose of the work he does that
inspires Kumar and those around him. “We are at the forefront of tackling
climate change,” Kumar said. “Each day, I strive to do better, because I know
that my work is making a real difference in the world. Working for a renewable
energy company means I, along with fellow ReNewers, contribute to the greater
good of the environment. This makes me proud of the job that I do.”
Gearoid, wind farm construction manager, at an Amazon wind farm in Ireland on a recent visit by Irish students.
Gearoid loves his role as a wind farm construction project manager working on renewable projects throughout Ireland. And while the locations may change, one thing remains constant, Gearoid said, on a blustery day at an Amazon wind farm in County Galway, Ireland.
“It’s windy almost everywhere here,” Gearoid said.
“Ireland has a fantastic wind resource, and so it’s great to be able to harness
this to ensure we can generate low-cost, clean electricity.”
The development of the Amazon wind farm, which local school
kids have named Gusta Gaoithe, or "gust of wind” in Irish
Gaelic, has generated more than energy.
“We’ve been able to build trails for walkers and
cyclists on the site, including a long hill climb,” Gearoid said. “We also have
a community fund liaison committee set up to support community, heritage, and
volunteer groups.”
Projects like Gusta Gaoithe make Gearoid proud, not
just of the career he is now pursuing, but also of the impact he and the rest
of Ireland can have beyond the nation’s borders.
“Renewable energy is critically important globally,
and Ireland has a big role to play with the contributions it can make,” he
said.
While this type of real-world impact demonstrates important progress, challenges remain and new solutions are required to keep this type of investment growing. This includes working with policymakers and utility companies to address the grid infrastructure issues that are delaying renewable energy projects from coming online.
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