Amazon Web Services, the cloud unit of Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, will invest more than $1 billion over five years in U.S. communities that host its data centers, as local opposition to AI infrastructure intensifies.
The company said on Friday that the money will fund education, job training, energy affordability and water and energy preservation. It will also cover other local priorities, AWS said in a statement.
AWS Pledges Action on Power and Water Use
AWS also vowed to address the facilities’ effects on electricity and water use. It committed to becoming water positive by 2030, meaning it would return more water to communities than it uses. The company said it is 75% of the way to that goal.
Amazon said it invested $276 billion in data centers between 2011 and 2025. It has large projects or expansions underway in Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia and Mississippi.
Backlash Is a Capex Risk for the AI Buildout
Data centers provide the computing power needed to train and operate…
