BOSSIER CITY, La. — Data center construction is creating work for local contractors and businesses as STACK Infrastructure develops campuses in Northwest Louisiana in partnership with Amazon, a company representative told the Bossier City Lions Club on Thursday.
Ashley Busada, STACK’s director of community engagement, discussed the projects at the club’s Sept. 24 meeting and answered questions about land use, water consumption and noise, according to the Bossier Press-Tribune.
Amazon said in August that its planned investment in the region had grown from $12 billion to $18 billion, with a third campus planned in Shreveport. The three campuses are expected to create up to 750 full-time Amazon data center jobs and support an additional 2,500 positions in the broader community.
Busada said local contractors and other businesses have already hired employees or expanded operations to meet demand tied to construction. Companies that previously served the data center industry are also seeing additional work, she said.
The size of the proposed sites does not mean every acre will hold buildings, Busada told the club. Some land may provide buffers, accommodate wetlands or leave room for future development. Security needs may also require an operator to control an entire site.
On water use, Busada said cooling systems can recycle some water, while evaporative cooling consumes some. The amount recycled varies by technology and facility operations. Amazon has said it will fund necessary water and wastewater improvements and invest up to $400 million in public water infrastructure serving the three campuses.
Busada said STACK’s facilities must comply with local noise limits. She distinguished temporary construction noise from the equipment noise associated with operating facilities.
Dirt work is underway at the Bossier Parish site north of Benton, where crews are preparing the first building pad, she said.
Bossier Press-Tribune’s Stacey Tinsley contributed to this report.