The planned investment by Amazon hopes to crate 1,100 jobs and support new workforce development, training programmes and community projects in the state.
As generative AI (Gen AI) continues to cause demand for advanced cloud infrastructure and compute power to surge, Amazon said its investment in Indiana will support the future of AI innovation. This is in addition to the company’s $11 billion investment in St. Joseph County last year, expanding its infrastructure to new sites across Indiana.
“Indiana has long been an important partner for Amazon and today we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to long-term investment and growth, underscoring our dedication to fuelling AI innovation while generating meaningful economic impact throughout the state,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs and legal officer.
Optimising data centres for AI
Amazon said the new project will add 2.4GW of data centre capacity in the region and build on AWS’s strong track record of innovation, scale and engineering excellence. It will also use the same advanced infrastructure that powers Project Rainier, the world’s largest AI supercomputer.
“By designing our own chips, servers and network architecture, AWS delivers unmatched performance, security, reliability and efficiency for customers running the world’s most demanding compute workloads,” Amazon explained via its blog. “Together, our existing and future data centre campuses represent the next step in our mission to provide the most advanced, secure and sustainable cloud infrastructure anywhere in the world.”
The data centre facilities are purpose-built for scale and are being optimised for AI, machine learning and next-generation cloud applications.
Developing the data centre supply chain
With such a significant investment, Amazon expects to create more than 1,100 new high-skilled jobs – including data centre engineers and network specialists – and support thousands of others across the data centre supply chain. It is also expected to support local electricians, construction workers and fibre-optic technicians within the local community.
“Amazon’s historic investment shows that Indiana’s business-friendly climate continues to attract world-class employers and drive growth in our state,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun. “This project will create more than a thousand jobs while supporting thousands more across the region, further strengthening Indiana’s position in energy dominance and economic leadership.”
Local community support
To prioritise the community it operates in, Amazon and NIPSCO have established a framework developed with local residents and small businesses to power Amazon data centres. This is to bring more connectivity, faster speeds and innovative AI tools across the US, while delivering benefits to existing customers.
The newly created subsidiary, NIPSCO Generation LLC (GenCo), will see Amazon pay fees to use existing power lines and cover the costs for any new power plansts, power lines or equipment needed for the new data centre project – without burdening residents.
In total, the new project will add up to 3GW of new capacity, which goes beyond serving only Amazon’s needs of 2.4GW.
Amazon has invested more than $31.3 billion into Indiana since 2010, including infrastructure and compensation to employees and has created more than 24,500 direct jobs across the state.
The company has also made significant investments in renewable energy projects, including four solar farms and a wind farm.
Zapolsky added: “By expanding our advanced cloud infrastructure in Indiana, we are investing in Indiana’s technological future through job creation, skills training initiatives and community engagement programmes.
“We’re excited to help power the next wave of technological advancement while delivering tangible benefits that will enhance the lives of Indiana residents for years to come.”
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