Amazon announces another $12 billion data center investment in Mississippi

Amazon has announced an additional $12 billion investment in data center campuses across Mississippi, primarily focusing on sites in Madison County and Clinton. This new commitment increases Amazon's total investment in the state's data center economy to $25 billion. The projects are projected to create 800 jobs, with 700 designated for Madison County and 100 for Clinton. This latest announcement follows Amazon Web Services' previous $10 billion investment in a data center campus near Ridgeland and a $3 billion investment in Warren County in December. Amazon's total now surpasses xAI's previously declared $20 billion data center project in Southaven, DeSoto County. Both Amazon's new developments and xAI's existing project have encountered public resistance. Citizens in Clinton have voiced skepticism regarding the potential locations for Amazon's new data centers. The xAI project in Southaven continues to face criticism, particularly concerning its mini power plant equipped with gas turbines, which reportedly produce sounds similar to jet engines. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board recently approved a permit allowing for an additional 41 turbines at xAI's power plant site. Simultaneously, the Mississippi Legislature has debated the rapid expansion of data centers in the state. Lawmakers, including Democrats and some rural Republicans, have highlighted concerns about the substantial water consumption and increased energy demands these facilities place on the grid, especially during peak summer periods. A legislative proposal to re-impose electricity taxes on data centers, previously removed, failed to advance during the recent session. The state anticipates significant energy and water requirements as its data center economy grows over the next decade.