Pennsylvania Gets a Tech Makeover: Amazon’s $20 Billion Cloud Blitz Begins

Amazon has announced a record $20 billion investment in the development of two massive data center campuses in Pennsylvania, the largest private sector investment in state history and a major milestone for U.S. cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence.

 

Key Highlights:

 

Scale and Scope: The investment will be used to fund two data center campuses—both in Salem Township (Berwick area) near the Susquehanna nuclear power plant and in Falls Township near Philadelphia at the Keystone Trade Center, a property that was once a U.S. Steel location.

 

AI and Cloud Focus: The new centers will drive Amazon Web Services' (AWS) cloud and generative AI capabilities, positioning Pennsylvania at the center of the global AI competition.

 

Job Generation: A minimum of 1,250 high-paying jobs will be created with positions for data center engineers, network engineers, security professionals, and operations managers. Additional thousands of jobs will be maintained in the building, supply, and surrounding communities.

 

Community Investment: Amazon is launching the Northeastern Pennsylvania Community Fund, donating $250,000 to grants for STEM education, digital skills, sustainability, and community wellness initiatives.

 

Workforce Development: The company will begin training data center technicians, fiber optic professionals, and K-12 STEM education programs to boost the local talent pool.

 

Energy Innovations: One data center will be connected directly to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, a pending federal review for its ground-breaking "behind the meter" power arrangement—potentially producing 960 megawatts, sufficient to power over half a million homes.

 

Strategic Partnerships: The move is part of close cooperation with state and federal authorities to facilitate permitting and increase energy infrastructure, to keep the U.S. competitive in the global AI landscape. Greater Impact: Amazon has invested $26 billion in Pennsylvania since 2010, backing tens of thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the state's GDP.

 

Thanks to Amazon's $20 billion-plus investment to build new state-of-the-art data center campuses across our Commonwealth, we've secured the largest private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania," Gov. Josh Shapiro said.

 

This ambitious step puts Pennsylvania at the forefront of America's cloud and AI revolution, with potential for economic growth, technological dominance, and new opportunities for communities throughout the state.

 

Source: About Amazon Newsroom, Investing.com, Reuters