Amazon Pledges $1 Billion to Quell Data Centre Opposition
Amazon has pledged over $1 billion to US data centre communities over the next five years. The company's 'Built Together' program aims to address growing local opposition to its data centres. Matt Garman, chief executive of Amazon Web Services, said that if measures are enacted to halt data centre growth, 'the U.S. could be writing its own losing ticket to this race', with consequences lasting generations.
The funding will focus on three areas: education and job training, energy and water, and community-chosen projects. This includes covering out-of-pocket community college costs for an estimated 300,000 students, building new training centres, and providing grants for energy upgrades in schools and homes.
Amazon expects to put over $100 million into community college endowments and another $100 million into its training centres. The company has already given more than $1 billion to these communities over the past three years.