AWS expands Ohio investment by $10 billion in major AI, cloud push

AWS has announced plans to invest an additional $10 billion in Ohio in a bid to expand data center infrastructure and help power the rise of AI.

The investment builds on previous announcements of funding in the state worth $7.8 billion last year, in addition to $6 billion in 2022, AWS said in a statement.

By 2030, AWS said its investment in Ohio would top $23billion — making it among the largest private investments in the state. The infrastructure project will create thousands of jobs across data centers, the firm said, but also across the wider supply chain alongside investment in skills development.

“As reliance on digital services continues to grow, so does the importance of data centers; they are critical to today’s modern economy,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

“AWS’s substantial investment in Ohio will help keep our state at the forefront of the global technology.”

Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted said the investment will help support Ohio’s reputation as “the tech-hub of the Midwest.”

“Artificial Intelligence and data centers are crucial to America’s economic superiority because they drive innovation, support high-tech industries, enhance productivity across sectors, and enable the analysis and management of vast data essential for global competitiveness,” Husted added.

“AWS is proud to expand our cornerstone investment beyond Central Ohio to help drive the next generation of cutting-edge technologies such as AI,” AWS said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the state and local leaders who have partnered with us, and we look forward to keeping Ohio at the leading edge of the digital age.”

Rise of AI

The continued AI boom has driven demand for more and more data centres, with reports warning that Europe and the UK risk falling behind without more investment.

And that’s in turn driven demand for energy that’s seen big tech companies investing in nuclear, though AWS’ own efforts to build a data center adjacent to a nuclear plant has seen push back from regulators.

AWS talked up its wind and solar projects in Ohio to date, saying it remains committed to powering its Ohio data centers in an “environmentally sustainable way.”