‘2,000 new jobs right here in Mississippi’: Gov. Reeves $12B more in investments from AWS

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Standing in front of a large crowd next to the site of the future AWS data center in Ridgeland, Joey Deason took a moment to reflect.

More than eight years ago, Deason was the new executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority and making the rounds to local civic clubs and government meetings to sell his vision for the county.

Now, as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate another $12 billion in investments from Amazon Web Services, Deason says that vision has been fulfilled.

[READ: Board of Supervisors approves site plan for Amazon Web Services]

“I want you to look around and I want you to look at what we’ve built and what we’ve accomplished together,” he said. “I don’t think any of us fully imagined that we’d be standing here talking about the first multi-billion-dollar capital investment in the history of Mississippi, but here we are.”

On Thursday, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that AWS would be investing an additional $12 billion in the metro area, including $11 billion in Madison County and $1 billion in Hinds.

The investments include an expansion of data center services in Ridgeland and the development of a new data center at the former Milwaukee Tool factory in Clinton.

Combined, the projects will create an additional 800 jobs, on top of the 1,200 already expected to be created.

“Let that sink in for a moment. $25 billion. 2,000 new jobs right here in Mississippi,” he said. “Mississippi is not attracting industries of the future. We’re building them.”

The developments include an AWS data center at the Madison County Mega Site near Canton, and at the Ridgeland site in the 1,200 block of West County Line Road.

Reeves announced those projects in early 2024. In November 2025, AWS announced another $3 billion project for Vicksburg, which is expected to create around 200 jobs.

Another 100 jobs are coming to Clinton, at an AWS data center being built at the former tool manufacturing plant on Industrial Park Drive.

Roger Wehner, director of economic development for AWS, said construction is about halfway complete at the Ridgeland and Canton sites, but wasn’t sure about the other locations.

“Another year and a half to two years to get all those up and running. Probably less,” he said. “Everything we do, we move fast.”

Officials also attempted to allay concerns that some have about how the projects will impact local water and power supplies.

“In Clinton, we will actually use no water. In Canton, we’ll use 100% recycled water. And then, for balance, here at Ridgeland, we’ll only use water 9% of the year… Approximately 30 days a year are the only days that we’ll use water,” Wehner said. “You can probably imagine which month that might be…”

[READ: Who’s building the data center in Clinton? Records provide details]

Haley Fisackerly, president of Entergy Mississippi, said legislation passed two years ago to bring Amazon to the state required the tech company to pay for all incremental costs associated with electricity.

“All the substations, the transmission upgrades that are made are covered by Amazon solely,” he said. “Then, they pay a greater share of the generation needed. So, what we’re seeing is actually a benefit back to customers.”

Fisackerly said the additional revenues generated by providing electricity to Amazon will mean more money for making system improvements and reducing outages.

“We’re going to be able to increase that by $300 million, reduce the outages by 50%, and that will be at no cost to customers,” he said. “That’s a five-year plan. It’s called Superpower Mississippi.”

Dwight Luckett, meanwhile, talked about the impact Amazon has already had on the Canton Public School District, including on its STEM programs, which provide training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Luckett is that district’s superintendent and opened the ceremony on Thursday.

“Not only is Amazon allowing us to prepare students for today,” he said. “They are preparing us to prepare our students for tomorrow.”

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