Amazon Web Services (AWS) has just revealed a plan to invest $35 billion in the US state of Virginia to expand its operations between now and 2040.
Virginia is home to the company’s US-EAST-1 region, which has suffered severe outages and other problems in recent years, leading some to suggest that the area is a a major cause for concern about Amazon’s ability to handle the crisis.
AWS has been operating in the state since 2006 and then chose Virginia to open a second headquarters in 2018 (called HQ2).
AWS in northern Virginia
Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, announced (opens in a new tab) plans that he believes will create “at least” 1,000 new jobs in the area as he continues to express a clear interest in the industry in his state:
“Virginia will continue to encourage the growth of these next-generation data center facilities across multiple regions of the Commonwealth. These areas offer strong utility infrastructure, lower costs, excellent livability and highly educated workforces and will benefit from the associated economic development. and increase the tax base, support schools and provide services to the community.”
Reuters (opens in a new tab) also reported that cloud storage The giant invested $35 billion in northern Virginia data centers between 2011 and 2020, meaning the continued investment could provide a huge boost to the local economy.
Director of Economic Development at AWS, Roger Wehner, emphasized that the company’s continued investment in the region since 2006 has increased the GDP of the Commonwealth by nearly $7 billion, creating thousands of jobs. do.
Going forward, AWS will be eligible to participate in the new Mega Data Center Incentive Program if it is approved by the Virginia General Assembly. This will include a maximum 15-year extension of the Data Center Sales and Use tax exemption “for eligible equipment and software support,” and another grant of up to $140 million. for infrastructure and site improvements, workforce development, and other cost-related projects.”
Via Register (opens in a new tab)
