AWS Plans To Spend $10B On Data Centers In Mississippi

The investment in the state comes with the promise of 1,000 jobs. It was developed under the code name “Project Atlas.”

Amazon Web Services announced Thursday that it would soon break ground on two giant data center facilities in Mississippi in a $10 billion investment that will create 1,000 jobs in the Magnolia State.

“It’s the single largest capital investment that has ever been made in the state of Mississippi – by a lot,” said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves in a statement. “The fact is that records were made to be broken, and that’s exactly what our state continues to do. This is a massive win for Central Mississippi, the Jackson metro area, and all of Mississippi. It’s a great time to be a Mississippian.”

AWS Director of Economic Development Roger Wehner said in a statement there is a “burgeoning tech sector” across the state of Mississippi that Amazon plans to harness by creating well paying jobs. The world’s largest hyperscaler has spent $108 billion to build out its infrastructure across the US, Wehner said.

AWS said the 1,000 jobs will have wages starting at $66,000. In addition, the state’s electricity supplier Entergy said AWS investments will fund upgrades to the state’s power supply.

“Attracting a large customer like AWS will help keep rates lower for all customers than they otherwise would be in the future,” Entergy wrote in a press release about the deal. “The historic project will support nearby power grid advancements and power generation investments across the state, which will bring additional economic benefits.”

The two data centers will open by 2027 and be built on campuses north of Jackson, Miss. One is a 927-acre site outside of Canton, Miss., while the other is located on 786-acre site not far away, according to a local Mississippi news site.

Amazon said it has invested more than $2.3 billion in Mississippi since 2010 including providing more than 7,500 full and part time jobs, and ongoing development of a 41 turbine wind-power project.

Additionally, the company is building a pipeline of technical talent by funding curriculum at state elementary through high school called We Build It Better, a technology focused learning program. This is combined with investments in community colleges and certificate programs.

Mississippi lawmakers agreed to a tax incentive package worth $44 million and authorized Madison County to borrow $215 million to build infrastructre near the site, according to the Associated Press. Amazon will have to repay the money if the data center is not completed, according to the legislation.