Equilibrium & Sustainability

Amazon begins to swap out generators for batteries on film sets 

The Amazon logo is displayed on a screen at the Nasdaq MarketSite, July 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Amazon Studios is beginning to swap out its higher-pollution, diesel generators with portable batteries on film and television production sets, the company announced on Wednesday.

The batteries, developed by Moxion Power, are already being used to power cameras, base camps, lighting, hair and makeup trailers and other equipment on the sets of rom-com “Sitting in Bars with Cake” and the series “Bosch: Legacy,” according to Amazon.

The e-commerce giant said in a statement that it intends to expand the use of Moxion Power’s batteries to more U.S.-based Amazon Studio production sets in 2023.

Among the films slated to benefit from the switch will be Candy Cane Lane, a holiday movie featuring Eddie Murphy, the announcement added.

“Moxion Power’s batteries are allowing us to deliver entertainment with lower emissions than before,” Glenn Gainor, head of physical production for Amazon Original movies, said in a statement.

Such a transition, Gainor continued, is important to customers, Hollywood talent and production teams, while benefiting the communities where filming occurs.

Amazon invested in Moxion Power’s technology earlier this year through its Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion corporate venture capital fund that finances clean-tech firms capable of helping Amazon reduce its carbon footprint.

“Our sets using the batteries have less air pollution, less noise, and are helping us demonstrate to others in the entertainment industry that small changes — like swapping diesel generators for batteries — can have an immediate and significant environmental impact,” Gainor said.

The batteries are supported by a swap service, which helps ensure consistent electricity supplies during film operations, the Amazon announcement said.

Performance of the batteries can be monitored remotely — using artificial intelligence to predict usage patterns and run times, which can last for days or weeks, the announcement said.

In addition to the investment in Moxion Power, Amazon has financed 19 other clean-tech companies as part of its goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the business by 2040, according to the company.

“There is no bigger voice in the world than Hollywood,” Alex Meek, co-founder and president at Moxion Power, said in a statement.

The integration of Moxion’s technology shows “that the entertainment industry is ready and willing to begin the transition to cleaner energy,” Meek added.

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