Amazon Rebuts Data Center Myths as 100 Moratoriums Loom in US
Amazon has published a long statement arguing that the US cannot afford to slow its data center buildout, and it takes aim at four common criticisms of the facilities. The company says more than 100 data center moratoriums are being considered across the country.
- Amazon says over 100 data center moratoriums are being considered across the US.
- Amazon claims direct data center water use is about 0.5% of total US direct industrial water use.
- The company says its average data center uses less than 13,000 gallons of water per day.
- Amazon says backup generators are idle 99.9% of the time and blames rising energy rates mainly on an aging grid.
- It cites estimated tax payments of over $3 billion in St. Joseph County, Indiana, and over $1.8 billion in Montgomery County, Missouri.
A buildout compared to the interstate highways
Amazon opens its post with a historical comparison. It points to the 1956 start of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and argues that the country is now in the middle of "the largest infrastructure buildout since the highways", this time in digital infrastructure. According to Amazon, data centers underpin activities such as shopping, banking, stock trading, ride hailing, healthcare and streaming, and AI has sharply accelerated their construction in recent years.
The company stresses that, unlike the railroads and highways, this buildout is financed without taxpayer money because private industry is paying for it. It also describes the situation as a geopolitical race, saying that countries leading in AI will shape it and get the most from it. Amazon claims there are widespread reports of countries deliberately seeding misinformation in the US about data centers. It warns that if the moratoriums under consideration are enacted, the US "could be writing its own losing ticket to this race".
Water and energy: Amazon's numbers
The post is organized as a list of myths and facts. On water, Amazon says direct data center consumption is about 0.5% of total US direct industrial water use. It claims US golf courses alone use roughly 200 times more water than all of Amazon's data centers. It also rejects the claim that a typical data center uses five million gallons per day, saying the real average is about 170,000 gallons per day. Amazon puts its own average at less than 13,000 gallons per day, which it equates to 42 US households.
On electricity prices, Amazon calls the idea that data center providers drive up all energy rates "misleading and convenient scapegoating". It says costs have risen in some states with many data centers (it names Illinois and New York), fallen in others (Indiana and Mississippi) and grown slower than the national average in places like Texas. The company attributes rising rates mainly to an aging grid, noting that about 70% of power lines were built over 25 years ago. It says that once the new capacity is built, rates should be flat or lower for residents. Amazon states that it works with utilities to determine the funding needed for transmission lines, substations and other upgrades, and that its payments cover these requirements.
Backup generators and local benefits
Addressing pollution concerns, Amazon says diesel backup generators are idle 99.9% of the time and run roughly 10 hours per year, mostly for required maintenance testing. It explains that permits must cover the maximum possible emissions, which is why critics can cite large figures. According to the company, much of the industry now uses Tier 4 emission controls, and annual NOx emissions from an average data center equal a single round trip flight from Seattle to London.
On community benefits, Amazon argues that data center operators are often the largest taxpayer in a community and that long-term tax revenue often exceeds prior land use revenue by more than 1,000%. It gives two examples. In St. Joseph County, Indiana, it estimates its taxes will exceed $3 billion, compared with $1.2 million from the prior land use over the same term. In Montgomery County, Missouri, it says its project will pay more than $1.8 billion in taxes over 25 years, against about $200,000 from the prior use.
What it means
The post is a company argument aimed at a public debate that is turning into legislation, and its figures are Amazon's own claims. The title also promises a new commitment to build responsibly and a fresh set of community investments, but the portion of the text available here is cut off before those details. Readers should check Amazon's full post for the specifics of those programs.
What is clear is the company's position: it wants the buildout treated as a long-term mission pursued jointly by the private and public sectors, and it acknowledges that the technology and energy industries, along with government partners, can do better in some areas.
