AWS CEO: Why New $11B Cloud Data Center Investment Is Key

Just one month after purchasing a data center campus in Pennsylvania for $650 million, AWS CEO Adam Selipsky says the cloud company will invest $11 billion to build a new data center campus in Indiana.

Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky said the cloud company’s plan to invest $11 billion in building a new cloud data center campus in Indiana will boost key AWS initiatives around training, sustainability and development.

The $97 billion Seatle-based worldwide leader in cloud computing invests tens of billions of dollars each year to expand its massive data center footprint—which is the infrastructure that powers its cloud services and solutions—inside the U.S.

“We are proud to announce a planned $11 billion investment in Indiana, which will create at least 1,000 new jobs,” said AWS’ CEO in a LinkedIn post Thursday. “Our investment will also deliver workforce training programs and a new AWS InCommunities Fund aimed at supporting initiatives in tech education, sustainability, economic development and more.”

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Last month, AWS purchased a large data center campus in Pennsylvania for $650 million from Talen Energy with plans to create a 960MW facility. In January, AWS unveiled plans to build two giant data center facilities in Mississippi with a $10 billion investment.

Selipsky said the new $11 billion investment is key to fueling Indiana’s technology sector, as well as America’s, creating a skilled IT workforce and boosting the number of AWS-skilled personnel in the country.

“Investing in the communities where we operate is a top priority, and we are thrilled to partner with state and local leaders in Indiana for many years to come,” said AWS’ CEO.

AWS New Data Center Campus In Indiana

AWS, which made CRN’s 20 Hottest AI Cloud Companies in 2024 list, plans to build the data center campus at the Indian Enterprise Center located in St. Joseph Country, Ind.

The company also plans to enable four solar farms and a wind farm, with a combined capacity of more than 600 megawatts of renewable energy—enough to power approximately 146,000 homes, according to AWS.

When AWS invests in a region to build a new data center in, it also raises awareness about the need to create a robust technology workforce there.

The new AWS InCommunities Fund is a grant program focusing on education, environmental sustainability, economic development and DEI, to name a few.

AWS Cloud Market Share Vs. Google Cloud And Microsoft

Similar to AWS, Google and Microsoft invest billions in expanding their data center footprint on a global basis to power their cloud services and products.

As of fourth-quarter 2023, AWS owns 31 percent share of the global cloud services market, followed by Microsoft at 24 percent share and Google with 11 percent share.

Enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services reached $73.7 billion in fourth-quarter 2023, representing a 20 percent increase compared with $61.6 billion in fourth-quarter 2022, according to data from IT market research firm Synergy Research Group.