Photo by Jens Mahnke
Amazon is set to make a major investment in Mississippi, as the tech giant‘s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced plans to pour a whopping $10 billion into the state. While it seems Mississippi is welcoming the tech giant to the state with open arms, many communities across the country protest against Amazon moving in. According to USA Today, among the reasons some communities shy away from Amazon opening up in their neighborhoods include gentrification, the amount of incentives promised to the company, and also a fear that the high-paying jobs will not go to locals.
But Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves sees his state’s deal with Amazon as promising. The Republican governor said, “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.”
Here are five things to know.
The approved project, located in Madison County, is a massive economic development initiative aimed at Mississippi’s technology sector. AWS will establish multiple data center complexes in two industrial parks within the county, representing a substantial corporate investment in the region.
“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, WJTV reported.
Reeves called the AWS investment the single largest capital investment in Mississippi’s history.
This investment is expected to create at least 1,000 high-paying, high-tech jobs in Mississippi, which say state officials will have a positive impact on the state’s workforce and overall economic landscape.
Mississippi lawmakers approved a $44 million approved incentives package paid for with taxpayer dollars to support the project, with a significant portion allocated towards job training programs. Lawmakers also agreed to make a loan of $215 million, and provide numerous tax breaks, Mississippi Today reported.
Democrats pushed back some, saying they were concerned that enough was not being done to try to locate economic development projects in impoverished areas of the state. Also, local Democrats wanted to mandate that a certain number of jobs at the battery plant be reserved for Mississippians as the plant will be constructed in Marshall County on the Tennessee state line, Mississippi Today reported.
The establishment of data centers in Madison County will enable customers across various industries to leverage cloud computing services provided by AWS. The initiative is expected to drive innovation and technological advancement, positioning Mississippi as a hub for cutting-edge technology solutions.
Also, officials said the project will include building solar power fields and there will be no increase in rates for other Entergy customers, and just might lower them.
Photo by Jens Mahnke: https://www.pexels.com/photo/logo-on-vehicle-livery-10602085/
