by J.D. Davidson
Amazon plans to invest $10 billion over the next five years to expand data centers across the state.
Monday’s announcement is on top of a $7.8 billion plan announced last year and more than $6 billion already spent in Ohio through the end of 2022.
State officials said the new investment is expected to create hundreds of new, high-paying jobs by the end of 2030 and increase Ohio’s role as a major technology hub.
“As reliance on digital services continues to grow, so does the importance of data centers; they are critical to today’s modern economy,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. Amazon Web Service’s “substantial investment in Ohio will help keep our state at the forefront of the global technology.”
The $10 billion investment ranks only behind Intel’s $20 billion project in central Ohio, announced nearly three years ago. AmazonWeb Service has not finalized locations for its new centers, and plans are contingent upon long-term energy service agreements.
“Today, we reaffirm our long-term commitment to Ohio with plans to invest an additional $10 billion to expand our data center infrastructure in greater Ohio to drive innovation in AI for customers,” said Roger Wehner, vice president of economic development at Amazon Web Services. “Since 2015, AWS has invested more than $10.3 billion in the state and currently supports more than 4,760 jobs annually. This expanded investment is expected to create new, well-paying jobs, boost Ohio’s GDP, and further cement our partnership with the state. We are also proud to continue expanding the reach of workforce development and educational programs that equip Ohio’s next generation of tech talent through strong public and private partnerships.”
The planned new data centers are expected to contain computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment and other forms of technology infrastructure used to power cloud computing, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“These are significant investments from AWS that support Ohio’s growing reputation as the tech hub of the Midwest,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. “Artificial intelligence and data centers are crucial to America’s economic superiority because they drive innovation, support high-tech industries, enhance productivity across sectors, and enable the analysis and management of vast data essential for global competitiveness.”
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An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.
Photo “Amazon Web Services” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
