Amazon, despite climate pledge, fought to kill emissions bill in Oregon

The Washington Post via MSN ^ | April 4, 2023 | by Caroline O'Donovan

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Amazon has branded itself as a climate crusader, touting its commitment to renewable energy and sustainable practices. But in Oregon, it helped quietly quash a climate bill that would have regulated its data centers.

The bill would have set a 100 percent carbon emissions reduction deadline of 2040 for high energy users. Its goal was to rein in industries with outsize carbon footprints, like cryptocurrency mines and data centers, of which Amazon is planning three more in the state that would be powered by fossil fuels.

hough the bill would have matched the timeline of Amazon’s own “Climate Pledge,” which promises net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, the company helped kill it, said Oregon state Rep. Pam Marsh.

“Amazon’s representatives were in the Capitol lobbying against the bill from the very first moment of discussion,” said Marsh, chair of the Oregon House climate committee and sponsor of the bill, HB2816. Though Amazon did not testify publicly, Marsh said the company’s lobbyists helped organize the opposition and “successfully nurtured fear that our energy requirements would drive away the development of data centers.”

“No one wants that,” Marsh continued, “but we do want them to use energy in a responsible, sustainable manner.”

Amazon spokesperson David Ward said in a statement that “a number of organizations, including Amazon, oppose HB2816 because the bill does not address the build-out of electric infrastructure that is needed to bring more clean energy to the grid.”

[Tell It Right]

First they came for the bitcoin computers and I did nothing.

[Steely Tom]

Doesn’t the owner of Amazon also own the Washington Post?

[nwrep]

No.

[DavenStafford]

Yes, Bezo bought the Post and transferred it to a private investment company he owns.