In an exclusive interview, Quint Simon, Head of Public Policy for Asia Pacific & Japan at Amazon Web Services (AWS), revealed the company’s strategy for allocating the $12.7 billion investment announced earlier this year. Simon stated that as Amazon’s investment grows, so will their renewable energy capacity.
Currently, AWS has invested in six utility-scale projects in India, totaling nearly 1 GWh of renewable energy capacity. These projects are spread across multiple Indian states, including a solar plant in Rajasthan and hybrid ventures in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. These projects support the energy needs of AWS data centers in primary regions such as Maharashtra, Telangana, and Hyderabad.
Simon explained that a significant portion of the investment will go towards making these data centers resilient. The company plans to establish three data center clusters in each state to ensure uninterrupted service, even in the face of potential issues such as natural disasters.
In addition to their primary regions, AWS has plans for ‘local zones’ in Delhi and Chennai to reduce latency for clients in those areas.
AWS achieved 100% renewable energy usage for their data centers in 2022, thanks to policy reforms introduced in the last 18 months. Simon highlighted the role of renewable energy certificates and virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs) introduced by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in diversifying energy strategies effectively.
Recognizing the challenges of managing data centers in tropical regions like India, AWS is placing increasing emphasis on water sustainability. They are focusing on optimizing water use through cloud services, IoT technologies, real-time water monitoring, and other efficiency-driven measures. AWS also sees airflow enhancements within their data centers as an area with ample scope for innovation, especially in regions like India, where the solutions developed can be replicated worldwide.
Overall, Amazon’s investment in renewable energy capacity and their efforts towards resilience and sustainability demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship and the reliable delivery of their cloud services.
Sources:
– ETEnergyworld: [source title]
– Quint Simon, Head of Public Policy for Asia Pacific & Japan at AWS
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