Amazon Commits $6 Billion to Expand Shreveport Data Center Investments

Amazon is beefing up its investment in the Shreveport area. The company has announced plans to invest an additional $6 billion in its data center campuses across the region, pushing its total planned investment to $18 billion just a few months after making the big splashy announcement in February.

This added money is expected to be pumped into the complex planned for the Resilient Technology Park on Greenwood Road in west Shreveport. Two other facilities are already under construction in the area: one on Stateline Road in Caddo Parish and another in Bossier Parish near Benton.

Louisiana Economic Development projects the expansion alone will create 210 direct jobs and 499 additional indirect jobs.

What the Expanded Investment Means for Local Jobs

These three data centers are expected to employ as many as 750 direct jobs plus more than 1700 indirect jobs at local vendors and support-service businesses across the Northwest Region.

STACK Infrastructure, the developer building and operating the campuses for Amazon, expects the full three-campus project to support up to 2,250 construction jobs. Positions tied to the buildout and eventual operations include electricians, HVAC technicians, project engineers, network specialists, operations managers and security specialists. Amazon says it plans to launch workforce development programs with local technical colleges and community organizations to help prepare residents for those roles.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says “When one of the world’s largest companies chooses to deepen its commitment this early, it demonstrates confidence in our workers, our business environment and our ability to execute,” Landry said in the announcement.

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Will Amazon Pay its Own Way

Amazon says the Northwest Louisiana campuses are designed to rely on air cooling for most of the year, turning to water-based cooling only when temperatures climb above roughly 85 degrees, a threshold the company expects to hit less than 13% of the year in the region. The company plans to invest up to $400 million in public water infrastructure across all three campuses and says it will fund all required water and wastewater improvements itself.

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On the power side, Amazon is working with Southwestern Electric Power Company to fully fund the new energy infrastructure and grid upgrades the data centers require, a structure intended to keep those costs off existing ratepayers’ bills. SWEPCO President and COO Brett Mattison said the utility is prepared to support the added load while protecting current customers. “We’re ready to serve and ready to deliver the reliable energy our communities need to support new investment while protecting existing customers from the costs of that growth,” Mattison said.