Amazon pledges $1B to data center communities amid local opposition

Amazon Web Services announced Friday it will invest more than $1 billion over five years in U.S. communities hosting its data centers through a new program called Built Together. The funding will support free community college access, job training, energy upgrades for homes and schools, and local water conservation projects.

AWS CEO Matt Garman said more than 100 data center moratoriums are under consideration nationwide, which he argued are fueled by misinformation and could jeopardize the U.S. position in the global AI race. Amazon projects roughly $220 billion in capital expenditures this year, largely for AI infrastructure.

“If these measures are enacted, the U.S. could be writing its own losing ticket to this race, and the consequences would last generations.”

The company also committed to ending non-disclosure agreements with government agencies on data center projects, installing lower-emission backup generators, publishing annual energy and water usage data, and ensuring its power purchases do not raise local electricity rates.

Amazon estimates over 300,000 students could access free courses and certificates in fields such as electrical work, HVAC, fiber installation, IT, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. The firm currently operates three Modular Training Centers near data centers with six more in development, and plans to build 16 additional centers.

States including Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Mississippi are among those that could receive investments, according to Reuters. The new $1 billion pledge adds to more than $1 billion Amazon says it has already given to communities over the past three years.