Amazon to Invest $1 Billion Over Five Years in US Data Center Communities
Amazon announced plans to invest more than $1 billion over five years in communities across the United States where it operates data centers. The initiative will support education, job training, energy affordability, and water and energy preservation as the company responds to concerns about data center impacts.
Amazon Web Services said it will invest more than $1 billion over the next five years in U.S. communities that host its data centers. The funding will support education, workforce training, energy affordability, and water and energy conservation. Amazon has major data center projects or expansions underway in states including Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Mississippi.
The announcement comes amid nationwide concern about data centers' electricity demand, utility costs, water consumption, and environmental effects. AWS CEO Matt Garman defended continued construction as important to artificial intelligence and national security, while the company said it aims to become water positive across its data centers by 2030.