$15 billion in Amazon data centers in Indiana aim to advance AI innovation

NEW CARLISLE, Ind. (WISH) — Amazon on Monday confirmed plans to invest $15 billion to build a new data center campuses, with the goal of creating 1,100 jobs and advancing artificial intelligence innovation.

A news release issued Monday afternoon said, “These cloud computing and AI innovation campuses join a growing Amazon operations footprint across the state that now includes 13 fulfillment and sortation centers, 11 delivery stations, and data centers in New Carlisle, Indiana.”

The addition at the St. Joseph County campus comes a month after Amazon opened an $11 billion facility, called Project Rainier, for AI model training for its customer Anthropic, at New Carlisle.

Also just a month ago, Amazon celebrated the opening of an advanced robotics center in Bristol in nearby Elkhart County, representing a $200 million investment.

The release said the New Carlisle investment will add up to 3 gigawatts of data center capacity in the region, with the new facility requiring 2.4 gigawatts. The release also said the facility is expected to support thousands of jobs in the data center supply chain.

Amazon and NIPSCO have established a framework to power Amazon data centers, helping to bring more connectivity and faster speeds locally and across the U.S., while delivering substantial benefits to existing customers. The release said Amazon’s partnership with electricity and natural gas utility NIPSCO aims to provide $1 billion in cost savings to Indiana residents and businesses over 15 years. The agreement with NIPSCO represents approximately $1 billion in cost savings over 15 years to existing NIPSCO electric customers.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun, in a statement in the release, said, “This project will create good-paying jobs for Hoosiers, expand our tax base, and strengthen the economic foundation for communities across the state.”

Braun later issued another statement from his office, calling the project “a massive win”: “This agreement will ensure a surplus in new energy development that will deliver real savings to Hoosier ratepayers.”

Since 2010, Amazon said it has invested more than $31.3 billion in Indiana, contributing more than $29.9 billion to the state’s gross domestic product — the total value of finished goods and services — and supporting 24,500 full- and part-time jobs, plus 27,500 indirect jobs.

David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs and legal officer, said in a statement in the release, “By expanding our advanced cloud infrastructure in Indiana, we are investing in Indiana’s technological future through job creation, skills training initiatives, and community engagement programs.”

Amazon also said in the release that will bring to local communities its training and education programs, including data center technician programs, fiber optic fusion splicing workshops, and awareness and learning opportunities for K-12 schools in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Amazon’s investment will also include support for Indiana community colleges, technical schools, universities, and workforce development organizations to design, develop, and grow training programs and work-based learning opportunities. Amazon said its Community Workforce Accelerator training centers support careers in cloud computing infrastructure with AWS (Amazon Web Services) and its network of contractors, vendors, and partners.

The town of New Carlisle, with 1,900 residents, is about a 25-minute drive west of downtown South Bend.

Earlier Monday, Amazon also announced plans to invest up to $50 billion to expand AI and supercomputing capabilities for U.S. government customers of its cloud unit, Amazon Web Services. The Monday announcements are two separate investments, Amazon said.

Reuters contributed to this report. This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

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