Local leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate what they called a historic economic milestone: a $1 billion Amazon Web Services data center under construction at the site of Clinton’s long-vacant Delphi Packard Electric plant. But even as officials touted the project’s promise of 100 permanent jobs and $5 million in first-year revenue for the city and school district, AWS executives spent the ribbon-cutting ceremony addressing the concerns that have shadowed the development since it became public in March.
Water usage and electricity costs remain the primary worries for residents in a region where aquifer depletion is a growing concern. At Tuesday’s event, AWS Vice President Roger Wehner stated the facility would use air cooling instead of water—a departure from industry standard—meaning the company would rely on water only for domestic use, not cooling operations. Entergy Vice President Jeremy Vanderloo also assured residents that the data center’s power demands would not burden existing customers, emphasizing that AWS had made arrangements to absorb its own energy costs.
AWS first retrofit
The $1 billion investment marks the first time AWS has retrofitted an existing industrial building at this scale, according to Wehner. The company began evaluating the Clinton site in July 2025, ultimately choosing air-cooled chillers to accommodate the building’s existing structure while addressing contamination including asbestos and mold.
“This facility is a retrofitted building, and the cooling system design is driven by the existing structure,” AWS stated. “Adapting the building for the standard water-cooled approach would have required significant structural modifications, making air-cooled chillers the right fit for this site’s constraints and timeline.”
The former Delphi plant, which once employed nearly 300 people, has sat largely vacant since 2009, with only a brief stint as a Milwaukee Tool facility. Its transformation into a cloud computing hub represents one of the region’s largest industrial redevelopments in recent years.
“It is going to expand our abilities, strengthen the core services that we offer our residents, and improve the quality of life and amenities we’re able to offer our residents,” Clinton Mayor Will Purdie said at Tuesday’s ceremony, calling it “a truly historic moment in the life of our city.”
The project will employ approximately 1,500 workers during its construction phase and create 100 permanent jobs once operational. The city and school district are expected to receive $5 million in revenue in the first year, according to local officials.
AWS in Mississippi
The Clinton data center is one of four AWS facilities Amazon is building across Mississippi as part of a $25 billion statewide investment that is expected to create 2,000 jobs overall. One facility in Canton is already operational, while projects in Ridgeland, Vicksburg, and Clinton are in various stages of construction and site preparation. To support this expansion, Entergy Mississippi is investing $300 million to upgrade its power grid over the next five years, with a goal of reducing power outages by 50 percent.
Amazon is also investing in five renewable energy projects across the state, enabling 616 megawatts of carbon-free energy through solar and wind farms—enough to power approximately 152,000 U.S. homes.
Resident Concerns and Regulatory Response
When the project became public in March following a fee-in-lieu agreement signed by Clinton’s Board of Aldermen, residents expressed cautious optimism tempered by concerns about energy rates and the lack of detailed public disclosures around the development. In response, Clinton’s Board of Aldermen amended the city’s zoning ordinances to require any new data centers to obtain a conditional use permit and be located in designated industrial areas. All future data center projects must now come before the Board and the Planning Commission for approval.
Roy Edwards, the city’s director of Community Development, indicated that at least one other company is also considering building a data center in Clinton, signaling growing interest in the area for large-scale industrial infrastructure.
Meanwhile in Indiana, not all data center projects have met with community approval. Lake County Council recently approved zoning changes for Sentinel Data Centers’ proposed 160-acre facility in Eagle Creek Township near Lowell despite strong resident opposition over concerns about agricultural land loss. The contrasting community responses across Indiana—from Mississippi’s welcome to Indiana’s resistance—highlight how data center expansion is creating divergent local reactions even within the same state.
Factsheet: AWS Clinton Data Center Project
Project Overview
- $1 billion Amazon Web Services data center
- Located at former Delphi Packard Electric plant in Clinton, Mississippi
- AWS’s first large-scale retrofit of an existing industrial building
Location & Site History
- 17-acre site at former Delphi Packard Electric plant
- Plant once employed nearly 300 people
- Vacant since 2009 (except brief Milwaukee Tool stint)
Employment Impact
- Construction phase: 1,500 workers
- Permanent operations: 100 jobs
Economic Impact
- $5 million first-year revenue to Clinton city and school district
- Part of Amazon’s $25 billion Mississippi statewide investment
Construction & Timeline
- Company began evaluating site in July 2025
- Construction currently underway
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony held Tuesday
Design & Infrastructure
- Air-cooled cooling system (non-standard in industry)
- Minimal water footprint; water only for domestic use
- Remediation included asbestos, mold removal, structural upgrades
- Building structure drove decision to use air chillers
Regulatory Changes
- All new data centers now require conditional use permits
- Must be located in designated industrial zones
- All projects reviewed by Board and Planning Commission before approval
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