Amazon is proud of our partnership with customers, communities, and government leaders in Mississippi. Since 2010, we have invested $2.3 billion in the state, including five fulfillment and sortation centers, four delivery stations, five solar farms, a wind farm, and a Whole Foods Market location.
Today, we are excited to expand this commitment. Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $10 billion to build two data center complexes, marking the single largest capital investment in Mississippi’s history. In coordination with the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA), AWS will establish multiple data center complexes in two Madison County industrial parks, which is projected to create at least 1,000 new jobs in the Magnolia State.
“Since 2011, AWS has invested more than $108 billion in its infrastructure across the U.S. to support customers of all kinds, and across all industries, in their digital transformation,” said Roger Wehner, AWS director of economic development. “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. We look forward to delivering new workforce development opportunities and educational programs that support the next generation of talent across the Magnolia State.”
We continuously invest in communities where Amazon and AWS operate by supporting local jobs, generating economic growth, providing skills training and education, and unlocking opportunities for local businesses and suppliers.
Student Wyatt Kaizer working on a fiber optic fusion splicer.
As part of today’s announcement, we are also making the following commitments to Mississippi communities:
Support for STEAM awareness and learning opportunities for K-12 school systems, including:
We Build it Better, a set of industry-designed curricular experiences and resources that engage middle school and older students in a work-like STEAM environment stocked with industry-grade tools
We Will Build it Better, a career awareness program for elementary classrooms to engage students in a work-like STEAM environment, complete with an array of industry-grade hand tools and technology
Support for Mississippi community colleges, technical schools, universities, and workforce development organizations to design, develop, and grow training programs and work-based learning opportunities that prepare job seekers for high-demand career pathways in the growing field of data center construction and operations, as well as the broadband expansion industry. This includes awareness programs such as:
Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Workshops, two-day certificate courses implemented at local community colleges, technical schools, and universities that train individuals in new fusion splicing (the welding together of fiber optical cables) techniques and equipment, then connect these learners to fiber-broadband employers
Information Infrastructure Workshops for Educators, a one-day workshop to help education and workforce leaders better understand the physical layer of cloud computing and our information economy, and the many different careers that are available
Training and support for community colleges and universities to implement Fiber Optic Technician and Data Center Operations Programs, including faculty training from industry subject matter experts; facilities and equipment donations to empower hands-on learning; and curricular content to link programs of study to industry standards and best practices
Support for education institutions and independent learners with free, ready-to-learn cloud computing curriculum that works backwards from employer demand for specific skills and roles in cloud support, software development, and data integration, among other in-demand cloud computing skills. This builds on the AWS commitment to provide free cloud skills training to 29 million people globally.
Today’s announcement expands on Amazon’s existing footprint in the state. For example, Amazon is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Mississippi. We recently expanded our renewable energy footprint in Mississippi with the state’s first utility-scale wind farm, located in Tunica County. The Delta wind project will include 41 wind turbines powered by winds from the Mississippi Delta, and will be a dual-use operation, where the agricultural land will continue to be used for farming rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat under and around the turbines. According to developer and owner-operator AES, the project is expected to bring tens of millions of dollars in consistent tax revenue to the county and school district and is expected to create nearly 300 jobs during peak construction. Other investments in the area include:
$2.3 billion invested in Mississippi since 2010, including infrastructure and compensation to our employees
$2 billion added into state GDP based on Amazon investments
7,500 full- and part-time jobs created in Mississippi (as of January 2023)
9,000 indirect jobs supported on top of our direct hires in Mississippi (based on Input-Output methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)
1,000+ independent sellers—most of which are small and medium-sized businesses—in Mississippi, selling in Amazon’s store
We appreciate Governor Tate Reeves’s leadership, as well as the support of state and local leaders, to make this commitment possible. We look forward to serving our customers and communities in Mississippi through this expanded investment.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Tesla soared Wednesday as investors bet that the electric vehicle maker and its CEO Elon Musk will benefit from Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Tesla stands to make significant gains under a Trump administration with the threat of diminished subsidies for alternative energy and electric vehicles doing the most harm to smaller competitors. Trump’s plans for extensive tariffs on Chinese imports make it less likely that Chinese EVs will be sold in bulk in the U.S. anytime soon.
“Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, in a note to investors. “This dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment, coupled by likely higher China tariffs that would continue to push away cheaper Chinese EV players.”
Tesla shares jumped 14.8% Wednesday while shares of rival electric vehicle makers tumbled. Nio, based in Shanghai, fell 5.3%. Shares of electric truck maker Rivian dropped 8.3% and Lucid Group fell 5.3%.
Tesla dominates sales of electric vehicles in the U.S, with 48.9% in market share through the middle of 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Subsidies for clean energy are part of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. It included tax credits for manufacturing, along with tax credits for consumers of electric vehicles.
Musk was one of Trump’s biggest donors, spending at least $119 million mobilizing Trump’s supporters to back the Republican nominee. He also pledged to give away $1 million a day to voters signing a petition for his political action committee.
In some ways, it has been a rocky year for Tesla, with sales and profit declining through the first half of the year. Profit did rise 17.3% in the third quarter.
The U.S. opened an investigation into the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system after reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 through 2024 model years.
And investors sent company shares tumbling last month after Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, seeing not much progress at Tesla on autonomous vehicles while other companies have been making notable progress.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
