Amazon Web Services is set to significantly impact Bossier City, Louisiana, with its new data center north of Benton. The center is expected to generate approximately $12 million annually for the city’s water services. This development comes as part of a larger effort to upgrade Bossier City’s aging water infrastructure.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Economic Impact
Ken Ward, the Bossier Parish Police Jury administrator, highlighted the dual benefits of this agreement. Amazon has committed to funding utility upgrades that will not only support the data center’s operations but also improve the city’s water system. These improvements are expected to recover enough lost water to avoid increasing withdrawals from the Red River, a significant environmental and economic consideration.
“Bossier is going to make so many repairs and upgrades to their system that they will probably never even see a change in their capacity or their use, because they lose that much water in an average day,” Ward stated during a presentation in Shreveport. This initiative is seen as a win-win for Bossier City, addressing existing water loss issues while also providing a new revenue stream.
Project Details and Future Outlook
The data center project, developed by STACK Infrastructure for Amazon, is a $6 billion investment expected to begin operations in 2028. The center will require several million gallons of water per day, primarily for cooling its computer servers. The agreement with TXLAAR, the legal entity for the project, ensures that Bossier City will provide the necessary water services.
Ward also noted that both Caddo and Bossier parishes have negotiated favorable agreements to improve their water systems, which currently lose about 25% of treated water annually. The upgrades are expected to be completed before the first of the six planned buildings is operational in 2028, each covering about 218,000 square feet.
This development not only highlights the economic potential of the data center but also underscores the importance of infrastructure investment in sustaining local resources and supporting future growth.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
