By Georgia Butler ofDataCenterDynamics

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking to develop a data center campus in Wheatfield, Indiana. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the cloud giant has purchased more land in India.

Located in Jasper County and southwest of Michigan City, Wheatfield is a small town and has a population of around 900 as per the 2020 census. AWS presented its plans for the data center during a recent open house at Kankakee Valley High School, as per a report from theKankakee Valley Post News, in which it said it was looking to build a campus with up to nine buildings on a 304-acre plot of land.

The land in question is currently owned by the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), with the Schahfer Generating Station located just a half mile away.

NIPSCO and AWS are in conversations regarding the project. The land is currently leased for agricultural use from the utility.

According to AWS, by locating the data center near the power plant, it would reduce costs related to infrastructure and transmission. Details about the project remain sparse, with discussions on going, but AWS is estimating an investment of around $7 billion. In addition, the project would increase tax revenue for Jasper County from around $1.2 million to more than $420m over the next 15 years.

Amazon will also pay $1.25bn to reduce the energy use cost impact on local ratepayers.The data center will use natural air cooling for around 98% of the year, so as to minimize water usage.

Speaking at the meeting, AWS president of economic development Roger Wehner said: "We want to go to places where people come in with eyes wide open and we can build a great partnership."

Should the project receive approval, construction is expected to begin quickly, with Wehner telling the audience: "We want to start growing with this community as soon as possible. As you can see, we’re already here. We’re already doing things. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay, we’ll still love it. We won’t feel bad about a single thing we’ve done.”

AWS already has data centers in Northern Indiana, in New Carlisle, and is developing another in Hobart.The projects are part of a $15bn investment commitment to the area made by AWS inNovember 2025, in which the company said it aimed to add 2.4GW of capacity to the Hoosier State.

Source: ZeroHedge News