Amazon Plans $20B Pennsylvania Data Centers Investment

Amazon plans to pump at least $20 billion to expand its artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure in Pennsylvania. The company says that’s on top of the $26 billion it has already invested in the commonwealth since 2010. Amazon is eyeing Salem Township and Falls Township as possible sites for data centers, which it says will produce thousands of local construction jobs, according to a June 9 press release.Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) called the deal the largest private sector investment in state history and said other sites are being considered for projects.  “We continue to be actively engaged on securing additional sites in Pennsylvania—helping them secure local support, developing the infrastructure needed to support more data centers, and ensuring our permitting processes move quickly and efficiently,” Shapiro said in a statement. Amazon is already building two other data centers in Pennsylvania, including one located at a logistics campus on the site of a former U.S. Steel mill that would be powered by the electricity grid, and another next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, from which Amazon hopes the data center will draw power—under a power supply agreement being scrutinized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the Associated Press.  Last year, Constellation Energy Corp. announced a similar 20-year deal with Microsoft to supply regional data centers with power from a $1.6-billion revamp and restart of a shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant reactor near Harrisburg, Pa.Amazon’s own Pennsylvania projects will help “drive the next generation of technology innovation,” according to David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs and legal officer.”Amazon’s multi-billion-dollar investment in Pennsylvania reinforces our dedication to advancing AI innovation while creating lasting economic opportunities in the state,” Zapolsky said in a statement. “By expanding our cloud computing infrastructure, we’re investing in Pennsylvania’s future through new jobs, workforce development programs, and community initiatives. We look forward to helping drive the next generation of technology innovation, while delivering meaningful benefits for Pennsylvania residents.”