Amazon announces construction of Mississippi’s first utility-scale wind farm
TUNICA CO., Miss. (WMC) - Amazon is backing a growing number of new renewable energy projects across Mississippi that will provide clean electricity to power local homes and businesses, create jobs, drive economic development, and also help power the company’s local operations, which include fulfillment and sortation centers, delivery stations, and a Whole Foods Market location.
Amazon’s newest project, the Delta wind farm, is an 184.5 MW project under construction in Tunica County, which will be the first utility-scale wind farm in the state.
This new project brings Amazon to six renewable energy projects in Mississippi, including five solar farms.
Once fully operational, the six projects are expected to generate more than 1,850 gigawatt-hours (GWH) of clean energy, the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power 174,600 U.S. homes each year.
Amazon is on a path to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Mississippi and worldwide, according to BloombergNEF.
Amazon currently has a total of 30 renewable energy projects across the Southeast region, including solar and wind projects in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina, which will have a total capacity of more than 7,500 gigawatt-hours (GWH) of power once the projects are fully operational – enough to power more than 713,000 U.S. homes each year.
Delta wind farm in Tunica County, Mississippi (AES Clean Energy)
“Amazon is committed to powering our operations with 100% renewable energy, and we want to ensure the local communities where our customers live and work are also benefiting from the solar and wind projects that we support,” said Charley Daitch, director of Energy and Water Strategy at Amazon Web Services (AWS). “These energy projects are helping provide clean energy to local grids, create jobs, support local businesses and farmers, and boost the rural tax base in the Southeast, which are all part of Amazon’s journey to become a more sustainable company.”
The Delta wind farm, owned and operated by AES Clean Energy, will be a dual-use operation, where the agricultural land will continue to be used for farming rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat.
According to Amazon, AES has been working closely with the landowners to ensure prioritization and respect for Tunica’s rich history and farming traditions, ensuring farming can continue with minimal disruption during construction, and once operational, farming will continue under and around the turbines.
“As a proud new neighbor of Tunica County, this project will generate meaningful economic impact across the Delta – all while maintaining the existing farming operations,” said Kleber Costa, chief commercial officer of AES. “This is the first utility-scale wind facility in Mississippi and would not have been possible without our local community partners and our partnership with Amazon that is driving this new clean energy development that will bring value for years to come.”
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Source: Action News 5
