Amazon is preparing to break ground on a $12 billion network of data center campuses in northwest Louisiana, a project that state officials are describing as one of the largest economic investments in the region’s history. The multi-site effort spans Caddo and Bossier parishes and marks the company’s first data center footprint in the state.
The project, announced Monday by Louisiana Economic Development, will be delivered in partnership with STACK Infrastructure, which is acting as the developer, owner and contractor for the campuses. Construction is expected to begin in March, with phased operations supporting Amazon Web Services cloud and artificial intelligence workloads.
STACK estimates the program will generate 1,500 temporary construction jobs, based on local contractors and skilled trades in the electrical, mechanical, HVAC and related fields. Once operational, the campuses are expected to support an additional 540 full-time jobs and an additional 1,700 indirect jobs across the region.
Amazon has committed to financing all necessary electrical infrastructure, including new power facilities, substations, transmission lines and grid upgrades in coordination with Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO). The company also plans to invest up to $400 million in local water infrastructure and has pledged to limit water use on campuses.
The state’s incentive package includes eligibility for Louisiana high impact jobs programthe Data Center Sales Tax Exemption and support for staff training through LED FastStart.
At the announcement event in Shreveport, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) called the project a demonstration of Louisiana’s competitive position in the data center market, describing it as the region’s largest economic development initiative to date.
“Amazon is making a long-term commitment to Louisiana because our state offers prime locations, strong infrastructure and a skilled, hard-working workforce ready to support the next generation of technological innovation,” he said, adding that investments of this magnitude put Louisiana “at the center of operations that are trusted across the country and connect our communities to jobs that work and do business for Americans.”
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Outside the announcement, protesters gathered at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, raising concerns about water use, environmental impacts and long-term economic effects. Community organizer Paytan Rayne said the Shreveport Times this the project could cause “economic and environmental damage” and put “extreme pressure on water resources and public services.”
The Louisiana project comes as communities across the country step up opposition to large data center proposals. In New Brunswick, NJ, the city council canceled a planned installation earlier this month after sustained public protests. In San Marcos, Texas, a The $1.5 billion proposal was rejected by the city council days later, after hours of testimonies and large demonstrations. These decisions reflect a broader trend, including Microsoft’s withdrawal from a Wisconsin site by 2025 and Amazon cancellation of a proposed data center in Louisa County, Virginia.that same year after local opposition and land use concerns.
More comprehensive reports indicate that at least 25 US data center projects were canceled in 2025 alone due to local pushback, contributing to billions in blocked investment across the country.
