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Data Center Watch Report · ZIP 39180

Vicksburg

Warren County

Under constructionZIP 51.2% Blackpop 29,311

Approved / early construction — a $3 billion Amazon Web Services (AWS) hyperscale campus on U.S. 61 South, just outside Vicksburg city limits, announced Nov 20,

Researched: 2026-08-02 · Lead source: Brockovich AI Data Center community map (2 resident reports, 2026-04-30 → 2026-05-28) · ZIP demographics: 51.2% Black, pop 29,311 (Census ACS 2023) · County: Warren County, MS (~48% Black) Status: Approved / early construction — a $3 billion Amazon Web Services (AWS) hyperscale campus on U.S. 61 South, just outside Vicksburg city limits, announced Nov 20, 2025; site entrance under construction; buildout begins 2026.

This report is research, not legal, financial, real-estate, or investment advice.

0. Snapshot

Vicksburg is the Warren County seat, a majority-Black river city on the bluffs above the Mississippi. On November 20, 2025, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that Amazon Web Services will build a $3 billion data center campus in Warren County — the "arrival of the Digital Delta," and the largest private investment in the county's history.

  • Developer/operator: Amazon Web Services (AWS) — its second Mississippi campus after Madison County.
  • Site: the "U.S. 61 South Warren" site, along U.S. Highway 61 South, with the main entrance being built off Old Cain Ridge Road, which meets Hwy 61 just outside Vicksburg city limits in unincorporated Warren County.
  • The school: Per a map shown at an economic-development luncheon, the data center property surrounds Dana Road Elementary School on three sides, with the main campus roughly a quarter-mile west of the school. This is the single most contested fact locally.
  • Investment / jobs: $3B; 200+ direct high-tech jobs; ~300–500 indirect regional jobs.
  • Power: Entergy Mississippi. Entergy is building the 754 MW, $1.2 billion Vicksburg Advanced Power Station (combined-cycle natural gas) on the demolished former Baxter Wilson plant site, online ~August 2028 — part of Entergy's "Superpower Mississippi" strategy.
  • Water: City of Vicksburg municipal water, ~25 million gallons/year; AWS says water cooling runs only ~9% of the year (~30 days), closed-loop otherwise.
  • Incentives: ~$44 million in state incentives under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act (2024); a $150,000 Warren County educational grant; a Warren County Community Fund (grants up to $10,000); a portion of Amazon's payments-in-lieu-of-taxes directed to the Vicksburg Warren School District.
  • Zoning note: Warren County has no zoning outside city limits, so there was no rezoning hearing — the county's only permit may be a utility permit.

The environmental-justice read: A hyperscale campus is being built in unincorporated Warren County, on the Black-majority south side of a majority-Black river city, wrapping around an elementary school on three sides — with no county zoning process to contest it, because the county doesn't zone outside the city. The power comes from a new 754 MW gas plant on a legacy fossil-plant site. Residents have already protested (July 18, 2026) and addressed the Board of Supervisors (April 6, 2026), specifically citing the school, water and power costs, and the absence of a community benefits agreement.

1. The Facility & Where It Sits

The announcement. Nov 20, 2025, Gov. Tate Reeves and the Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership announced AWS's $3 billion campus — Mississippi's fourth large data center, part of a combined ~$29B in state data-center investment. It is the largest private-sector investment in Warren County history.

The site. The "U.S. 61 South Warren" site sits along U.S. Highway 61 South; the main entrance road is being built off Old Cain Ridge Road, which intersects Hwy 61 South just outside Vicksburg city limits. It is near the new Port of Vicksburg and on the I-20 long-haul fiber corridor.

Dana Road Elementary School — surrounded on three sides. A map shown at an economic-development luncheon indicated the main data center campus would be about a quarter-mile west of Dana Road Elementary, and that the project property surrounds the school on three sides. This is the crux of local opposition. (Distance in feet from the nearest campus structure to the school property line: Not found as of 2026-08-02 — ask the county and AWS for a parcel map, §8.)

Scale. $3B, 200+ direct jobs. Exact MW, square footage, and building count for the AWS campus itself: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Construction is described as a 5–7 year phase requiring "thousands" of workers across the AWS and Entergy projects combined.

2. Public Hearings & Notices

Jurisdiction — and the zoning gap. The site is in unincorporated Warren County, and per county officials the Board of Supervisors has no zoning authority outside city limits. There was therefore no rezoning hearing. BOS President Dr. Kelle Barfield stated the only county permit may be a utility permit. Water is handled by the City of Vicksburg or local water districts, not the county.

Documented public engagement:

  • Nov 20, 2025 — state/AWS announcement.
  • April 6, 2026 — Lily Pierson, a Natural Resource Management student, led a group of residents presenting concerns to the Warren County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors responded on the record (see §7).
  • July 18, 2026 — resident protest on Dana Road near the school (~50 people).

Board of Supervisors meeting schedule: 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, 9:00 a.m., 3rd floor of the new courthouse (holiday → next day). Agenda: call the Chancery Clerk at 601-636-4415.

Upcoming data-center-specific hearings after 2026-08-02: Not found as of 2026-08-02. Because there is no zoning process, the main public venues are BOS meetings, the City of Vicksburg (for water/utility agreements), the MS PSC (for Entergy's gas plant and rates), and MDEQ (for air permits). Watch all four.

3. Power

Serving utility: Entergy Mississippi (regulated by the Mississippi PSC). Entergy's commitment to meet long-term power needs was cited as a key factor in AWS choosing Vicksburg. Entergy Mississippi President/CEO Haley Fisackerly has been the utility's public face on the project.

New generation — the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station:

ItemDetail
PlantVicksburg Advanced Power Station (advanced combined-cycle natural gas)
Capacity754 MW
Cost$1.2 billion
SiteFormer Baxter Wilson Steam Electric Station (retired 2022, demolished), Vicksburg, Warren County
Online~August 2028
ProgramEntergy's "Superpower Mississippi" strategy; second ground-up advanced station after Delta Blues Advanced Power Station (Greenville/Washington County)

Who pays. Entergy has publicly stated that the costs are passed to AWS through a structured contract, not to existing residential ratepayers. Statewide, the Mississippi Legislature authorized Entergy to build data-center generation without the usual Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the PSC (the PSC still sets rates). Residents at the April 6 BOS meeting nonetheless raised that electricity prices have tripled near some similar facilities elsewhere and asked for protection against rate-payer cost shifts. Earthjustice's May 2026 report "In the Dark: Data Centers Could be Costing Mississippi Households" argues the large-load agreement terms are not public enough for households to verify who pays.

Whether the 754 MW plant serves the AWS campus exclusively or feeds the general grid, and the transmission/substation build-out: Not fully specified in the public record as of 2026-08-02. The plant is presented as general Entergy Mississippi generation on a legacy plant site, contemporaneous with the data-center buildout. Ask the PSC (§8).

4. Water & Drought

Water utility: City of Vicksburg municipal water. AWS is requesting approximately 25 million gallons per year from the city system — notably not a direct Mississippi River withdrawal. AWS states that, based on two years of Mississippi operating experience, it uses water cooling only ~9% of the year (~30 days), relying on outside-air/closed-loop cooling the rest of the time.

Context. 25M gal/year is a comparatively modest municipal draw for a hyperscale campus (the Madison County AWS campuses run 83–93M gal/year). Mayor Willis Thompson has said the campus will help fund improvements to water, sewer, and public safety. But residents at the April 6 BOS meeting asked for future water- and land-use updates, and protesters questioned whether "Vicksburg cannot handle the electrical and water demands."

Wastewater / discharge. Wastewater routes through city treatment. Discharge and any surface-water permits go through MDEQ. Permit numbers, the city system's spare capacity in MGD, and a drought contingency plan: Not found as of 2026-08-02.

Drought status. U.S. Drought Monitor for Mississippi, data valid 07/28/2026: statewide 17.7% D0, 7.0% D1, 4.2% D2, 3.1% D3, 0.9% D4 (15.2% in D1–D4). Warren County-specific classification: Not found as of 2026-08-02 — read the county map at droughtmonitor.unl.edu. Vicksburg sits on the Mississippi River, so surface water is abundant; the constraint is the municipal treatment/distribution system, not raw supply.

5. Population & Who Lives Here

  • ZIP 39180: 51.2% Black, population 29,311 (Census ACS 2023, project source data). This ZIP covers Vicksburg and surrounding south Warren County.
  • Warren County: roughly 44–48% Black; Vicksburg city proper is majority-Black.
  • The site's neighborhood context: the campus is on the south side, off U.S. 61 South / Old Cain Ridge Road, in unincorporated county land around Dana Road Elementary School — a school serving the Vicksburg Warren School District.
  • History: Vicksburg is a Civil War river city long shaped by the Mississippi River economy, the Port, and industry along the bluffs; it has seen population decline and disinvestment in its Black neighborhoods.

The siting pattern this project documents is clear here: a heavy industrial load placed in the unincorporated county with no zoning process, on the Black-majority south side, wrapping an elementary school — while the tax revenue flows to the county general fund, the school district, and the city.

6. Money — Abatements, Incentives, Jobs

State incentives. Roughly $44 million in state incentives, authorized under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act (2024) — the same framework extended from the Madison County AWS campuses. Reported benefits include long-term corporate income tax exemptions, sales-tax rebates on construction and equipment, and state-backed infrastructure financing, potentially extending up to 30 years if investment and job thresholds are maintained. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann credited the state's M-FLEX program and site-development investments.

Local structure. A portion of Amazon's payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) is directed to the Vicksburg Warren School District. The exact PILOT/fee-in-lieu terms (percentage, dollar value, duration) and the county's own investment amount: Not found in full as of 2026-08-02 — the Vicksburg Post reported the county "moving forward with AWS and MDA agreements," but the executed terms were not extractable here. Ask the Chancery Clerk (§8).

Community funds.

  • $150,000 Warren County educational grant.
  • Warren County Community Fund — grants up to $10,000 for STEM education, sustainability, digital skills, and health/wellness.
  • Amazon reports having trained 6,500+ Mississippians through workforce programs statewide.

Jobs: 200+ direct high-tech positions (engineers, network/security specialists, operations managers), plus ~300–500 indirect regional jobs, and thousands of temporary construction jobs across the AWS and Entergy builds.

A binding-vs-aspirational caution. As at other sites, "community fund" and "up to $10,000 grants" are programs, not a negotiated community benefits agreement. Residents (via Lily Pierson at the April 6 BOS meeting) specifically requested a community benefits agreement addressing job quality and environmental protection; whether one exists: Not found as of 2026-08-02.

7. Community Reaction & News Coverage

April 6, 2026 — residents address the Board of Supervisors. Lily Pierson, a Natural Resource Management student, led a resident group presenting to the BOS. On the record:

  • Dr. Kelle Barfield (BOS President): said the only county permit may be a utility permit and that Amazon had noise studies underway.
  • Shawn Jackson (District 3): praised the transparency effort, noting supervisors attend meetings with Amazon.
  • Edward Herring (District 1): cautioned residents, "don't fall for the first rumor you hear." Concerns raised: Dana Road Elementary's proximity (dust, traffic, construction noise — citing Meta's "Hyperion" project experience); power costs (tripling near similar facilities); water and land-use questions; and a request for a community benefits agreement.

July 18, 2026 — protest. About 50 people gathered on Dana Road near Dana Road Elementary School to protest the AWS campus, part of an AI Data Center National Day of Protest called by the Humans First organization. Concerns: energy and water costs, health risks, and environmental impacts (noise, light, air pollution, wastewater). Entergy's response, per coverage: costs would be passed to AWS via a structured state contract, not to residents.

Mixed reception. Coverage consistently describes a divided community — many welcome the tax base, jobs, and Mayor Willis Thompson's promise of water/sewer/public-safety improvements; others, especially near the school, oppose it.

Key coverage:

  • Mississippi Free Press, "Amazon to Build $3B AI Data Center in Vicksburg… 'Digital Delta'"
  • Mississippi Today (Nov 20, 2025), "Amazon announces $3 billion data center planned for Warren County"
  • MPB, "Amazon to build $3 billion data center in Warren County"
  • Vicksburg Post — "AWS announces U.S. 61 site," "County board answers data center questions," "County moves forward with AWS and MDA agreements," "Warren County residents protest new data center," "Locals to protest AWS data center on Saturday"
  • Vicksburg Daily News — "Locals gather for a peaceful protest against data centers," "Pierson addresses BOS about data center"

Organized, named group: local protest was tied to national Humans First; a standing local Vicksburg opposition organization: Not found as of 2026-08-02 — the resident effort so far centers on Lily Pierson's group and ad-hoc protest.

8. Find Out For Yourself

All contacts below were taken from official government/utility sites or on-the-record news coverage on 2026-08-02. Verify before relying on them.

Warren County (site is in unincorporated county — no zoning, but this is the county venue)

City of Vicksburg (water/sewer authority; Board of Mayor & Aldermen)

Economic development (they brought the deal)

  • Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership — Pablo Diaz. Project microsite: https://amazon.vicksburgusa.com/ · Ask for the PILOT terms and the parcel map showing distance to Dana Road Elementary.

Power & rates

Environmental permits

Newsrooms (tips)

  • Vicksburg Post (vicksburgpost.com) · Vicksburg Daily News (vicksburgnews.com) · Mississippi Today · Mississippi Free Press · MPB

Six questions to ask when you call

  1. "Exactly how many feet from the AWS property line to Dana Road Elementary School, and where do the buildings, generators, and berms sit relative to the school?" (Ask the county, the City, and the Economic Development Partnership for the parcel map. The property reportedly surrounds the school on three sides.)
  2. "What air permits cover the campus's backup diesel generators — permit numbers, count, and permitted run-hours — next to an elementary school?" (Ask MDEQ.)
  3. "Since the county doesn't zone the site, what is the ONLY county permit, and what public review does it get?" (Ask the Chancery Clerk and BOS. Barfield indicated it may be just a utility permit.)
  4. "Can I see the executed PILOT/fee-in-lieu agreement and exactly what share goes to the Vicksburg Warren School District?" (Ask the Chancery Clerk — it's a public record.)
  5. "When the 754 MW Vicksburg Advanced Power Station comes online in 2028, who does it actually serve, and is there any scenario where residential rates rise?" (Ask the MS PSC and Entergy; get the AWS cost-recovery contract terms.)
  6. "Is there a community benefits agreement — the one residents requested on April 6 — and if not, why not?" (Ask the BOS and the Economic Development Partnership.)

9. If You're Thinking About Moving Here

Honest read:

What's real. This is a confirmed, funded $3B AWS campus with a named operator and a modest disclosed water draw (25M gal/year, ~9% water cooling) — far more transparent than the undefined Clarksdale proposal 130 miles north. Vicksburg is a river city with abundant raw water, real port and fiber infrastructure, and a mayor promising water/sewer/public-safety upgrades funded by the new tax base. Entergy says AWS, not residents, bears the power-plant cost.

What's unresolved.

  • The elementary school. The campus reportedly surrounds Dana Road Elementary on three sides, ~¼ mile from the main buildings. Construction dust, traffic, and noise — and later generator testing and operational hum/light — will be in that school's envelope. Ask for the noise studies Amazon says are underway, and the generator air permits, in writing.
  • No zoning process. Because the county doesn't zone outside city limits, there was no rezoning hearing to attach conditions — unlike Clarksdale, which extracted a $5M fee, a 1,000-ft setback, and a water cap. Vicksburg residents have less formal leverage; the venues are BOS meetings, the City's water agreement, the PSC, and MDEQ.
  • No community benefits agreement found. Residents asked for one on April 6, 2026. Whether they get one is unresolved.
  • The gas plant. A new 754 MW gas plant on a legacy fossil site comes online 2028. Entergy says residents won't pay for it; verify that against the actual PSC filings.
  • Water/sewer capacity. 25M gal/year is modest, but residents question whether the municipal system can absorb it plus growth. Ask the City for spare-capacity numbers.

Bottom line. Vicksburg's deal is more defined and more transparent than most, but it lands on the Black-majority south side, in a no-zoning county, around an elementary school. Nothing here says don't move to Vicksburg — it says go to the 1st/3rd-Monday 9 a.m. BOS meetings, get the parcel map and generator permits, read the PILOT and the AWS-Entergy cost-recovery terms, and press for the community benefits agreement residents already requested.

Not real-estate or investment advice. Get the school-distance map, verify the water and generator permits, and read the PILOT before you buy.

10. Sources

All accessed 2026-08-02 unless noted.

Announcement, incentives, jobs

Site & school proximity

Power (gas plant)

Water

Community reaction

Contacts & government

Demographics & drought

Lead source: resident reports on the Brockovich AI Data Center community map, then independently verified against public records. Research, not legal, financial, real-estate, or investment advice. Some resident-reported pins remain uncorroborated and are labeled as such above.