Amazon Web Services teams up with Community Energy for 80MW solar project in Virginia

Amazon Web Services has teamed up with Community Energy for the construction and operation Amazon Solar Farm US East in Accomack County, Virginia.

The 80MW project is expected to generate approximately 170,000MWh of solar power annually by 2016, which is equal to the consumption of power by approximately 15,000 US homes.

Amazon Web Services has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Community Energy for solar power from the $200m project called Amazon Solar Farm US East.

The solar project will be the largest one in the state of Virginia, and the energy generated will be supplied to the electrical grids that back up Amazon Web Services Cloud data centres.

Amazon is supporting the construction and operations of the project to fulfil its commitment of achieving 100% renewable energy usage in its global AWS infrastructure.

Community Energy CEO Brent Alderfer said: "This project, which wouldn’t have been possible without AWS’ leadership, helps accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies at scale in Virginia."

Amazon previously entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in Benton County, Indiana which has the capacity to generate 500,000 MWh of wind power annually.

The PPA with Fowler Ridge is also a part of Amazon’s goal to meet its renewable energy goals. Amazon said in April this year that it taps 25% if power from renewable energy sources while it aims to increase it to at least 40% by the end of 2016.

Amazon Web Services Infrastructure vice president Jerry Hunter said: "We continue to make significant progress towards our long-term commitment to power the global AWS infrastructure with 100% renewable energy."

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said: "Amazon’s new solar project will create good jobs on the Eastern Shore and generate more clean, renewable energy to fuel the new Virginia economy.

"I look forward to working with Amazon and Accomack to get this project online as we continue our efforts to make Virginia a global leader in the renewable energy sector."