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Amazon Web Services invests $10 billion in Mississippi for data centers

By Richard Lake Jan 25, 2024 | 2:50 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Thursday, Mississippi lawmakers approved a $10 billion economic development project in Madison County.

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) is investing the funds to establish multiple data center complexes in two Madison County industrial parks. The project is a planned $10 billion corporate investment and will create at least 1,000 high-paying, high-tech jobs.

Legislators approved a $44 million incentive package. Most of the state money, $32 million, will go toward job training programs.

Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) said this investment by AWS is the single largest capital investment in Mississippi history and four times the size of the previous largest economic development project.

“Mississippi has done it again. This record-shattering $10 billion private sector investment will not only create 1,000 high-tech, high-paying jobs for Mississippians, but it will result in our state remaining at the forefront of innovation. Mississippi is building a business climate that is ripe for further growth, especially in the technology sector. On top of that, we’re doing what it takes to prepare our workforce to take on these high-paying jobs of the future. There really is something special happening here in Mississippi, and the world is noticing,” the governor said.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, center, receives applause from House Speaker Jason White, R-West, left, and Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, right, as well as a bipartisan group of legislators, for pursing a package of state incentives to support a plan by Amazon Web Services to build two data centers in the central part of the state, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, during the celebratory announcement at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Officials said the data centers will enable customers of all sizes and across all industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, financial services, public sector, telecom, and more, to transform their businesses. The new data centers will contain computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment, and other forms of technology infrastructure used to power cloud computing. 

“Building on this, we are excited to expand our operations into Mississippi through this planned $10 billion investment, which will tap into the burgeoning tech sector across the state to create new, well-paying jobs and boost the state’s Gross Domestic Product each year,” said Roger Wehner, AWS Director of Economic Development.

Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority funds will be used to assist with infrastructure needs, workforce training and site development.

During a brief special session Thursday, legislators approved an incentive package with broad bipartisan support. They authorized Madison County to borrow $215.1 million from the state to pay for improvements to roads and the extension of water and sewer systems. Legislative leaders said the money will be repaid by fees the company will pay to the county in place of taxes.

Reeves said the data centers could be at least partially open by 2027.

Legislators met in a special session last week and approved incentives for a plant that will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles. It will be in Marshall County in northern Mississippi, near the Tennessee state line.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.