Amazon details new renewable and nuclear steps to supply power for data centers and other operations

Amazon laid out a broad snapshot of how it is preparing for rising electricity demand tied to cloud computing, logistics and artificial intelligence workloads, emphasizing carbon-free generation and partnerships for next-generation power. In a sustainability update published June 25, the company described dozens of new renewable energy projects and two separate agreements in the United States aimed at developing advanced small modular reactor, or SMR, capacity.

In Europe, Amazon said it added 46 new renewable projects, including what it described as its first investment in Portugal to build the country’s largest wind farm. The company said the development is also the largest hydroelectric complex in Portugal. In Spain, Amazon said its renewable portfolio grew to more than 90 projects, reflecting a continued shift toward securing electricity from carbon-free sources for its operations and data centers.

Amazon also reported rapid growth in Japan, saying it doubled its renewable energy capacity across the country within a year. In India, it said total investments rose to 53 projects that, according to Amazon, could generate enough energy to power the equivalent of over 1.3 million Indian homes annually. The company characterized these additions as serving two purposes: matching electricity consumed by its operations and creating new supplies of carbon-free energy for local communities.

Beyond renewables, Amazon described nuclear-related plans that focus on SMRs, a type of reactor designed to be built in smaller modules and scaled more flexibly than traditional large reactors. In Washington state, Amazon said an agreement with Energy Northwest, described as a consortium of state public utilities, would enable development of four advanced SMRs. Amazon also said it made an investment in X-energy, a developer of next-generation SMR reactors and fuel, and that X-energy’s reactor design would be used in the Energy Northwest project.

In Virginia, Amazon said it signed an agreement with Dominion Energy to explore the development of an SMR project near Dominion’s existing North Anna nuclear power station. Amazon did not provide additional project specifications in the update, such as the expected timing, capacity targets, or permitting milestones, but it positioned the agreements as part of a broader strategy to access reliable low-carbon electricity.

Amazon’s update also included a targeted partnership in Pennsylvania that ties a data center site to an existing nuclear plant. The company said it agreed to co-locate a data center facility next to the Talen Energy nuclear facility, describing it as a way to directly power Amazon’s data centers with carbon-free energy while helping preserve the reactor. The company did not describe the contract structure, length, or the capacity terms in the update, but it framed the arrangement as an operational step as the power-hungry era accelerates.

The company broadened its discussion beyond electricity itself by describing the “land” implications of renewable projects. In its summary, Amazon pointed to benefits for farmers, including potential additional revenue streams and ecological outcomes like healthier soil and improved biodiversity. It also said renewable developers may face fewer land-availability constraints through arrangements that can help unlock land for solar and wind siting, while local communities could gain jobs and tax revenue alongside new sources of energy.

Within the wider technology and utilities context, Amazon’s message reflects a recurring industry challenge: scaling data center capacity requires dependable power, but developers and regulators are pressing for lower-carbon supply. Large cloud providers have been leaning on renewable energy purchase agreements, direct ownership stakes, and new grid connections to reduce emissions associated with electricity use. At the same time, the company’s emphasis on advanced SMRs indicates a belief that future load growth may require firm, dispatchable low-carbon generation, not only intermittent wind and solar.

The update also leaves open several practical questions that typically determine whether projects move from announcement to delivered electricity. Amazon did not disclose detailed timelines, expected output for each site, or the final permitting and regulatory status of the SMR agreements. For renewables, it did not specify whether the projects involve ownership, power purchase agreements, or other contracting structures, nor did it provide data center load assumptions that link each project batch to future demand. As a result, the near-term impact on Amazon’s overall emissions profile and on U.S. nuclear development schedules remains uncertain.