AWS embarks on green power-focused deals with AES and Fluence Energy

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has signed a deal with green energy storage firm AES as the public cloud giant works towards powering its global operations with renewable energy by 2025.

The companies have signed two renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) that will see AES deliver 450MW of solar power to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and a further 225MW from one of its own four-hour battery energy storage projects.

In a statement, AES said the PPAs are part of a number of projects that will help Amazon achieve its goal of having its global operations powered by 100% renewable energy by 2025, which is five years ahead of its original schedule.

“Together with Amazon, we are showing how customised energy solutions and innovative thinking can help organisations of all kinds to decarbonise their operations and the grid,” said Andrés Gluski, president and CEO of AES.

AES will work with Fluence Energy, a subsidiary company that it formed with Siemens in 2018, to deliver on one of these projects, it confirmed.

Meanwhile, Fluence Energy has announced that it is working with AWS to bring to market applications that will help other companies to transition to using green energy.

The company said it also intends to draw on Amazon’s artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) portfolio of products and services to bring new capabilities to some of its existing applications, such as its Fluence IQ Digital Platform.

This offering is designed to give organisations an automated means of bidding for energy storage and renewable power within wholesale markets, which the company claims will make the process of procuring energy far more streamlined and efficient for its users.

Howard Gefen, general manager for energy and utilities at AWS, said: “This agreement will help towards our Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040 and power our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of our original target of 2030.”

Seyed Madaeni, chief digital officer at Fluence Energy, said the firm is pleased to be working with AWS to achieve its mission of “transforming the way we power our world”, while also helping Amazon to ensure its datacentres are increasingly powered by green energy.

“This agreement adds another facet to how we pursue that mission, not just in the work we do, but the platform on which we do it,” Madaeni added.