Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced plans to invest $11 billion in Indiana to build data centers. This investment is expected to create at least 1,000 new jobs and marks the country’s largest capital commitment. The new data centers will be located in St. Joseph County, north central Indiana, and will provide the computer infrastructure needed to run cloud computing and creative artificial intelligence.
says Amazon Its investment is part of a long-term commitment to Indiana, where it has invested $21.5 billion since 2010 and added $19.8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product. The company’s investment also includes four solar farms and a wind farm, with a combined capacity of more than 600 megawatts.
AWS receives sales tax exemptions from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) on eligible capital investments over 50 years, along with performance-based incentives such as tax credits and training grants.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said:
“Indiana’s long-term economic strategy is paying dividends for Hoosiers as we foster the growth of critical sectors like technology infrastructure.
Amazon has long been an important economic partner in Indiana, and we are excited to welcome AWS. This significant investment solidifies Indiana’s leadership position in the economy of the future, and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the town of New Carlisle, the North Central region and the state of Indiana for years to come.”
The new data centers in Indiana will support AWS’s expanding cloud computing and generative artificial intelligence (AI) services. Cloud companies are expanding their capabilities, mainly due to an increase in digital transformation initiatives and the use of artificial intelligence.
Roger Vanher, director of economic development for AWS, said:
“AWS’s unwavering commitment to supporting our customers and helping drive digital transformation is reflected in our infrastructure investments across the US
Based on this, we are excited to expand our operations in Indiana through this planned $11 billion investment, which will create many good-paying job opportunities and connect to the state’s growing technology sector, while making a significant contribution to the state’s growing economy.
This investment will include our continued commitment to fostering workforce development and educational initiatives in the areas in which we operate, and we look forward to helping nurture the next generation of talent in the Hoosier State. We are excited to partner with Governor Holcomb, IEDC and other state and local leaders to pave the way toward a brighter future for Indiana’s technology landscape.”
Amazon’s investment also includes a contribution of up to $7 million to support road infrastructure improvements in the country, which will benefit residents by improving transportation networks and improving accessibility.
As more and more businesses move towards modernizing their IT infrastructure, the demand for cloud computing services is increasing rapidly. Recently, Google also announced the expansion of its data centers in the Netherlands.