Why one North Carolina county said yes to Amazon's $10 billion data center
Amazon is investing $10 billion to construct a large data center campus in Hamlet, Richmond County, North Carolina. While many other communities in the state have pushed back against data centers, Richmond County actively chose Amazon after reviewing numerous interested companies. The project has brought discussions around water and electricity usage, influencing state-level energy policy.
Amazon is developing a massive $10 billion data center campus spanning 800 acres with 20 buildings in Hamlet, Richmond County, North Carolina. This development stands in contrast to 31 other North Carolina communities that have moved to restrict data centers. WRAL climate change reporter Liz McLaughlin explained that Richmond County leaders proactively chose Amazon after evaluating 47 companies interested in a county-owned industrial site.
Richmond County leaders emphasized that while data center debates often focus on water, electricity, and noise, they thoroughly weighed these concerns. Economic Developer Marty Butler stated that the county was uniquely suited for industrial growth after the textile industry's departure and had invested heavily in infrastructure. Independent engineers reviewed Amazon's impact projections, determining that the campus would not be among the county's top five water users and that ample water capacity was available for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) buildout.
The campus is projected to require approximately 1600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power over a million homes. Amazon maintains its commitment to carbon-free goals and highlights its position as the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy globally for the past six years. However, this growing demand is shaping North Carolina's energy policy, with state lawmakers citing data center growth as a reason to roll back a carbon reduction deadline and allow some coal plants to operate longer.
Construction is proceeding as scheduled, with the first building expected to open in 2027 and the remainder of the campus coming online in phases through 2029. Amazon is also partnering on a Long Leaf Pine restoration project in the Dee River Basin as part of its water stewardship efforts.