Amazon on Friday announced it will pour billions into communities where it operates data centers nationwide, after President Donald Trump urged the technology industry to ensure local residents reap the benefits of development.
Trump on Tuesday gathered tech leaders, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, at the White House, where he vowed “very smart companies are going to be making massive contributions to communities” where they are building data centers. Data centers power the technology grid and artificial intelligence, the development of which the president has warned is essential to keep China from becoming the world’s dominant superpower.
Days after Trump’s push at the White House, Amazon’s cloud computing division said it would disperse $1 billion over the next five years through its “Built Together” program to put “communities in the driver’s seat.” The community investments will include spending on education, job training, energy affordability, water and energy preservation, and other local priorities.
“There is urgency to this data center buildout because we aren’t the only country that sees the benefits of AI for the economy and national security, and the countries that lead in AI will shape it and get the most from it,” AWS CEO Matt Garman said.
Amazon’s community program plans to fund local college courses and vocational training for residents near its data centers, provide grants for energy- and water-efficiency improvements in homes, schools, and public buildings, and allocate funding for projects selected in consultation with local officials, nonprofit groups, and residents.
The development comes after Amazon previously sought to address concerns that data centers will strain resources by pledging to be water positive by 2030, meaning that it will return over a gallon of water to areas it is operating in for every gallon of water it uses. Other tech companies have echoed the strategy of offering benefits to communities where they operate, as opposition to data centers intensifies in the United States. For instance, in Louisiana, construction of Meta’s data center fueled $50,000 bonuses for local teachers.
When pressed earlier this week about whether he was concerned that his support for data centers could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections, Trump promised the industry would work to make communities “happy” about technological progress. The president said industry leaders will assuage opposition by providing more financial support to local schools or taking steps to reduce energy costs.
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“This is a group that loves local communities,” Trump told reporters at the White House, as tech leaders looked on. “They love our country, and they’re going to work with local communities for the data centers, in particular, and they’re going to work to make the community happy. That might be supplying oil and gas. It might be supplying education. It may be helping teachers along financially.”
“So you’re going to see data centers are going to be very popular,” the president added. “Otherwise, they’ll be forced to go overseas or other locations.”