Amazon has begun generating renewable energy with the construction of Its own wind and solar farms. By 2018, 50% of the energy powering AWS servers came from renewable sources.

While these are welcome developments, in the coal-heavy regions such as Virginia, where more than half of US internet traffic passes through, Amazon purchases electricity that is up to 97% coal-powered. They have plans to bring several solar farms online in the state of Virginia to help address this issue, but it’s not enough. A 2019 Greenpeace report found that Amazon’s data centers in Virginia are powered by only 12% renewable energy.