Amazon and GE Vernova link for data centre power

Amazon said it will work with GE Vernova over energy provision for its increasingly power-hungry fleet of data centres.

The US energy technology group and Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed a strategic agreement under which GE Vernova says it “will provide AWS with new offerings across a broad scope of solutions to electrify and decarbonise data centers across North America, Europe, and Asia”.

Like other technology giants, AWS is scaling up its data centre fleet to prepare for the massive and growing needs of AI and cloud computing, with power demand set to soar.

The agreement ranges across electrification systems such as substations, renewables and “power generation, innovation and services”.

In the case of renewables, the two companies said “GE Vernova will collaborate with AWS to enhance the path for commercialising onshore wind development projects”.

While tech giants such as AWS have emerged as major procurers of renewable power – Amazon is the world’s largest corporate buyer of wind and solar – the scale and urgency of the demand has put other sources in the frame.

They include other renewables such as geothermal, small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear plants and, prominently, gas turbines.

Howard Gefen, general manager, energy & utilities, at AWS said: “Through this expanded collaboration with GE Vernova, we’ll be able to accelerate data and energy efficiencies, driving reliable and more sustainable operations.

“Our shared goals of addressing increased global energy demand, advancing grid security, and decarbonising electric power systems will help our customers across the globe.”