Last week, we shared a progress update on Amazon's data center investment with the St. Joseph County Council. A lot has happened since we first announced this project in 2024, and I want to share how far we've come.

Our St. Joseph County data center campus is powering the digital services that Indiana employers, researchers, and public institutions depend on every day. Since the project was announced in 2024, we have moved with unprecedented speed. Eighteen buildings are now vertical. We've already invested $13.8 billion in St. Joseph County, surpassing our original commitment of $11 billion. We have also hired nearly 1,000 operations staff so far, and we estimate more than 80% are Hoosiers living right here in Indiana.

And we are just getting started. The property tax revenue from our data center will have a lasting impact on the community. Had these parcels gone undeveloped, they would have generated roughly $1.2 million in property taxes over the next 35 years. Because of our development, they are expected to contribute well over $1 billion in property taxes over that same period. That is entirely new revenue for local schools, first responders, libraries and other essential public services.

We measure our success not only by what we build, but by how we show up as neighbors. Amazon has provided more than $1.5 million in community grants, sponsorships, and projects. We built a new playground at La Casa de Amistad serving more than 1,300 young people per year, launched the first Think Big STEM lab in Indiana at New Prairie High School, and have proudly sponsored New Carlisle Hometown Days and Christmas in New Carlisle for two years running.

But the investment we are most proud of is in our people. Amazon has built a local talent pipeline to ensure that residents of St. Joseph County can build meaningful careers in the digital economy. Our facility has a training center on-site to develop the next generation of technical professionals from the local community. Our Work Based Learning Program recruits directly from local high schools, colleges, and community members with no prior tech background, connecting our neighbors to real careers in Northern Indiana. It is a local proof point of Future Ready 2030, Amazon's $2.5 billion commitment to the future of work.

We designed our New Carlisle facilities in close coordination with local officials to ensure that we are responsible stewards of local resources. Our data centers will rely on outside air for cooling 98% of the year, using water only on the hottest days. At full buildout, our New Carlisle site will use roughly 18 million gallons of water per year — less than a typical golf course. At the same time, we are investing $114 million in water and sewer infrastructure improvements, and funding local water replenishment projects that will return more than 100 million gallons of clean water per year to the local watershed, supporting our commitment to be water positive by 2030.

We are equally intentional about ensuring that the costs to power our data centers are not passed on to others. Done right, data center development can actually lower electricity costs. In May, Indiana Michigan Power announced a 3.6% reduction to Hoosier utility bills, driven by load growth and increased revenue passed onto residential customers from large users like data centers. Our agreements with utilities are designed to ensure ratepayers are protected. But because affordability is so important, we’ve gone a step farther. Through an agreement with Indiana Consumer Action Association, Amazon is funding $2.5 million in energy affordability and efficiency programs for low income or qualified Indiana Michigan Power customers. This donation will support tangible programs including bill assistance, ensuring that our neighbors are better off over the long term.

Data centers have become the backbone of cloud services, and AI that hospitals, schools, businesses and governments rely on every day. But our story is about St. Joseph County: creating good jobs, new tax revenue and emerging opportunities for all. We are proud to call this community home, and this is just the beginning.



Source: South Bend Tribune, July 9, 2026