Amazon has announced plans to increase its planned investment in northwest Louisiana to $18bn to expand the scope of its data center campuses across Caddo and Bossier Parishes to a third location in Shreveport.
This move builds on a $12bn planned investment, which was announced in February, and strengthens Amazon’s long-term presence in the region.
These three planned campuses are expected to create up to 750 full-time jobs at Amazon data centers and support 2,500 additional positions in the wider community.
Some of the roles include electricians, project engineers, network specialists, operations managers, and security specialists.
The online retailer is partnering with Stack Infrastructure to lead the construction and development of the data center facilities, which will create a forecasted 2,250 construction jobs.
Keith Klein, director of data center supply solutions at Amazon said: “When we announced our investment in northwest Louisiana earlier this year, we made a promise: Amazon pays its own way, and the communities where we operate will be better off because we’re there.
“Increasing our planned investment to $18bn means more good jobs for the region and more opportunities for local businesses. We’re building a way that protects ratepayers and strengthens this community for the long term.”
According to the company, Amazon is also working alongside partners to design water positivity programs that will return more water to the local watershed than the operations consume as part of its goal to be water positive by 2030.
The online retailer also plans to invest up to $400m in public water infrastructure to support all three campuses, which will enhance system efficiency and strengthen resilience.
This move aims to expand the online platform’s AI capabilities as it has previously introduced various artificial intelligence powered tools to improve customer experience.
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