[0:00] Hello everyone. My name is Carolyn Jackson and I am the regional community

[0:04] engagement manager for Amazon and your facilitator

[0:09] for today's information session. I've been with Amazon for four years helping

[0:13] to support community engagement for our data centers and making sure we're being

[0:17] a good neighbor.

[0:24] Here is our plan for the next hour.

[0:29] Amazon technical experts will walk us through what's being planned and what's

[0:34] already underway and what it means for the city of Sydney.

[0:46] We set aside time at the end of the session to answer questions you've

[0:49] submitted when registering. This is designed as an educational session.

[0:55] You'll hear directly from people closest to the work. To ensure we provide as

[1:00] much information as we can in this hour, we will have some team members joining

[1:05] us live and others pre-recorded. The goal of this time is to have a

[1:10] transparent as possible to be transparent as possible and share

[1:14] information we know is top priority for everyone.

[1:18] We believe communities deserve to be brought along the journey and we will do

[1:22] our very best to address your questions. you have shared.

[1:30] As you can see here, we have a packed agenda today. We'll start off with a

[1:35] quick overview of data centers and then get into topics such as air permitting,

[1:40] environment, and acoustics, followed by a plan for the city of Sydney.

[1:47] We'll also address some of your top concerns, including water use, energy

[1:52] use, and sound, and then discuss some of the great opportunities the data centers

[1:57] will bring to your community, as well as many ways Amazon plans to give back and

[2:03] invest in a future ready workforce.

[2:08] As I've shared, we have a lot of great information to share with you today. To

[2:13] get us started and share his perspective on this collaboration, we're pleased to

[2:19] present a message from your mayor, Mike Barhost.

[2:24] » Good evening and thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to join us

[2:27] for this webinar. As I begin, I want to acknowledge that navigating the unknown

[2:32] can be difficult. As human beings, it is natural to focus on the worst case

[2:38] scenario when we don't know what the future's going to bring. I've been

[2:42] around a long time and I was serving on city council when it was announced that

[2:45] Honda would be locating a large manufacturing facility near Anna. To say

[2:51] that the entire county was in an uproar would be an understatement. I attended

[2:55] many of the public meetings in the 1980s and I heard many of the same concerns

[3:00] and sentiments that I'm hearing today regarding the Amazon data center. There

[3:04] were concerns about the impact on our agricultural heritage, environmental

[3:08] issues, foreign investment, and many other questions about what Japanese

[3:12] presence in our community would mean. Fast forward more than 40 years, and we

[3:17] can look back with the benefit of that experience.

[3:21] Honda has become a vibrant and valued part of the fabric of our community.

[3:26] Friends and family members have built careers and supported their livelihoods

[3:31] because of this investment. Local businesses and community organizations

[3:35] have benefited and the economic opportunities created by the project

[3:39] have had a lasting impact. Looking back, I will tell you that when

[3:43] I first began serving on city council, Sydney had the highest per capita

[3:47] unemployment rate in the state of Ohio. When I left council 12 years later, we

[3:53] had the lowest per capita unemployment rate in the state. That dramatic

[3:57] turnaround was the result of the hard work of many in the community who are no

[4:01] longer with us and of course Japanese investment. I believe Shelby County is

[4:07] stronger today because we welcomed Honda's investment and work through the

[4:10] uncertainties together. I believe we have a similar opportunity with Amazon's

[4:14] investment in our community. We should certainly ask thoughtful questions,

[4:19] address legitimate concerns, and make sure we protect the things that make our

[4:23] community special. But we should also allow ourselves to consider the

[4:27] possibilities, not just the risks. We cannot know exactly what the next 40

[4:33] years will bring. But our history reminds us that change, while sometimes

[4:37] uncomfortable, can also create opportunity, strengthen our community,

[4:42] and benefit generations to come. I believe Amazon's investment has a

[4:48] potential to do exactly that. With those brief remarks, I'd like to turn this

[4:53] presentation over to the experts from Amazon and thank you again for being

[4:57] with us. >> Hello everyone. I'm Brandon Jones and

[5:02] I'm the regional operations leader for Ohio. Today I'm going to give you a

[5:05] quick overview of data centers. A data center is a large-scale facility packed

[5:09] with servers, networking gear, and the power and cooling systems that keep all

[5:14] of it running. Every time someone streams a movie, trains an AI model,

[5:18] processes a financial transaction, or stores medical records in the cloud,

[5:23] that request gets handled inside one of these buildings. From helping to route,

[5:27] process, and connect over 240 million 911 calls every year to enabling online

[5:34] purchases and secure ebanking to facilitating critical government

[5:38] services like delivering social security benefits to more than 70 million

[5:42] Americans or even streaming your favorite show. Data centers make all of

[5:47] this possible. You probably watched Netflix last night. More than 325

[5:52] million people subscribe globally. Nearly all of that service runs on AWS

[5:57] infrastructure maintained by our builders daily. Here's what happens when

[6:01] you press play. You tap a title on your TV. That request leaves your home,

[6:07] travels through your internet service provider, and reaches a Netflix

[6:10] application running inside an AWS data center. Within milliseconds, Netflix's

[6:16] software checks your account, generates personalized recommendations through

[6:20] machine learning models on AWS compute, and identifies the right video file,

[6:25] pre-enccoded into dozens of formats and resolutions using more than 100,000

[6:30] server instances. The touch of a button feels effortless, but behind every

[6:34] digital interaction is a data center, powering the connectivity, innovation,

[6:39] and economic growth that defines today's world.

[6:46] Folks, I'm Laura Markman. I'm a senior air quality engineer with AWS and I'm

[6:50] here to talk to you about the air permitting aspect of this project in

[6:53] Sydney, Ohio. From an air permitting strategy perspective, we plan to permit

[6:58] this site as a synthetic minor source respect to PSD permitting. We will

[7:03] obtain a permit to install followed by a title 5 major source permit to operate

[7:08] from Ohio EPA Department of Air Pollution Control. With regards to the

[7:13] type of generators, we plan to install state-of-the-art tier 2 certified

[7:17] generators which will be fitted with tier 4 emissions control systems.

[7:23] All of these tier 2 critical emergency generators fitted with tier 4 emissions

[7:28] reduction technology will reduce emissions of criteria pollutants

[7:32] including NOx, VOCC's, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide from the

[7:37] facility. It's also really important to note that

[7:40] these generators are permitted as emergency backup generators and on

[7:44] average each of our emergency generators operate about 10 hours per year. We are

[7:49] not operating these generators 24/7, 365 days per year.

[7:54] The last point I'd like to draw your attention to is that based on a 2023

[7:59] study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, the study found that

[8:04] even though data center facilities permit up to 250 tons per year, in

[8:08] reality, the operators of those facilities only emit approximately 7% of

[8:13] what those permits allow. And that's absolutely our intention for this

[8:17] particular site as well, to make sure we minimize emissions from our facility.

[8:22] Thank you very much for listening. Appreciate your time.

[8:27] » Hi, I'm Michael Mea, regional environmental engineer at AWS, and I'm

[8:31] here to touch on AWS's environmental permitting and mitigation strategy at

[8:36] this project site in Sydney, Ohio. I'd like to take a moment to speak on AWS's

[8:41] commitment to environmental protection. Prior to site selection, Amazon conducts

[8:47] thorough assessments of evaluating wetlands, waterways, sensitive

[8:51] ecosystems, as well as protective species and their habitats.

[8:56] These findings directly shape site selection and design decisions, ensuring

[9:01] environmental impacts are avoided or reduced as much as possible, and all

[9:05] regulatory requirements are met from initial planning through the full data

[9:09] center life cycle. As part of AWS's efforts to minimize environmental

[9:14] impacts, we strive to avoid wetlands in a manner reasonable to site development.

[9:19] At current, AWS has designed to avoid over 61% of delineated wetland features

[9:26] and ponds at the site. Along with that, less than 0.18% of the entire project

[9:31] site will potentially impact wetlands. with wetland impacts. AWS has submitted

[9:37] for and received an approved jurisdictional determination, otherwise

[9:41] known as AJ. An isolated wetland permit has also been

[9:46] submitted for in conjunction with AJ. AWS's wetland mitigation efforts to

[9:51] preserve habitat within the area are aligned to all rules and regulations set

[9:56] forth by the applicable authority having jurisdiction.

[10:00] As part of site development, Amazon will utilize native plantings across the site

[10:05] to increase plant diversity and overall vegetative quantity. In line with

[10:10] preserving habitat, this project site will avoid all potential impacts to

[10:14] threatened, endangered, and/or candidate species and their habitats.

[10:19] Thank you so much for listening. >> Hello everyone. Uh my name is Jafar

[10:24] Alcalaf. I'm an acoustic field engineer at AWS with over 10 years of experience

[10:31] conducting environmental noise assessments. I'm here to present to you

[10:35] information about acoustics and the sound mitigation that AWS considers on

[10:41] their data center sites.

[10:46] The main sources of operational sound from data centers are cooling and

[10:51] ventilation equipment as well as backup generators.

[10:56] The cooling and ventilation equipment tends to be the primary source of noise

[11:00] concerns since it operates continuously. For backup generators, a common

[11:06] misconception is that they operate 24/7 as well. However, backup generators are

[11:13] typically operated intermittently for short periods of time during testing and

[11:19] maintenance and as presented previously are

[11:23] generally expected to operate 10 hours or less per year.

[11:28] In addition to operational sound, temporary construction activities at a

[11:32] campus produce sound that can affect nearby communities.

[11:37] Amazon contractors regularly apply best management practices to reduce

[11:42] construction noise impacts.

[11:50] There has been a concern that multiple data centers will multiply sound, but

[11:56] the reality is that two data centers of equal sound would not result in a

[12:02] doubling of loudness. As part of this presentation, it is

[12:06] helpful to provide information regarding the science of sound. Sound is

[12:12] characterized by pressure fluctuations in a medium, in this case, air. The

[12:17] pressure levels vary enormously over the range of human hearing. And we use

[12:23] decibb which operates on a lo logarithmic scale to compress the very

[12:30] wide range of pressures to a more manageable range of numbers.

[12:35] The decibb logarithmic scale changes the map from we what we typically know.

[12:41] Uh for example 50 dB plus 50 dB is equal to 53 dB not 100 dB. And that three

[12:52] decibel increase is just perceivable. 10 times the number of noise sources

[12:59] results in a 10 decel increase compared to a single source.

[13:04] And that 10 decel increase is perceived as a doubling of sound. To recap, it

[13:11] would take 10 of the same sources essentially stacked on top of each other

[13:16] to result in a doubling of perceived loudness.

[13:20] The chart on the right of this screen presents common outdoor sound levels.

[13:26] Similar charts can be found at many sites, including the EPA's website and

[13:31] the Federal Transmit Administration's website.

[13:37] Amazon designs and operates their data centers in compliance with all local

[13:42] sound ordinances. This site will be in compliance with the city of Sydney's

[13:47] code of ordinances that has established sound level limits for specific zoning

[13:53] designations and Amazon will strive to do better than regulatory requirements

[13:59] in order to be a good community member. Uh using conservative summertime cooling

[14:06] assumptions when equipment is expected to operate at peak capacity,

[14:11] Amazon has designed the site to operate in the mid40s to low 50s dB at the

[14:18] nearest residential property boundaries. Most of the time, especially during

[14:24] cooler seasons, the sound levels are expected to be even lower.

[14:30] Mitigation is identified for each campus on a sidebyside basis and a buildingby

[14:36] building basis. Each site has particular characteristics

[14:41] that affect how the noise travels to offsite communities including the design

[14:47] and orientation of the buildings, the intervening land and ground types,

[14:52] terrain, and potential intervening development.

[14:57] These specific characteristics are considered in the noise assessments

[15:00] conducted for each site. Amazon is one of the only hyperscalers with a

[15:06] dedicated acoustic program and specialized engineering team for solving

[15:12] data center sound challenges. We also use experienced outside noise

[15:17] consultants for conducting the noise assessments for each site.

[15:23] uh on a siteby-sight basis, Amazon is proactive about mitigation strategies to

[15:29] reduce not only overall sound levels but also low frequency and tonal sound

[15:36] characteristics to ensure comprehensive sound quality management

[15:42] at this site. Noise control measures include sound damping building materials

[15:47] and insulation, strategic placement of equipment,

[15:52] visual screening and generator acoustic enclosures and others.

[15:57] » My name is Nick Andresik. I manage a team of construction managers for

[16:03] Amazon. I'm going to be talking about our plans for design and construction of

[16:07] these facilities here in Sydney. Our construction will take place in four

[16:14] distinct phases. In the first phase, we'll clear and grade the land and build

[16:18] the foundation for the data centers. Then from there, we'll erect the

[16:22] physical structure of the data centers. The most complex phase is what comes

[16:26] next. Uh the interior fit out is when we install the power distribution systems,

[16:31] the cooling systems, cable pathways, and more that transforms the empty shells

[16:36] into a functioning data center. Last but not least, we test every system to

[16:41] ensure resilience before handing over to our operations team to keep the data

[16:45] center going. When we work to build out these data center campuses, we're

[16:50] typically handing over some of these buildings in phases to our operations

[16:55] team. Um throughout the buildout of the campus as we're handing over different

[17:00] phases to our operations team and the site logistics change, we're always

[17:05] making sure to communicate extensively with the city uh so that the city of

[17:10] Sydney in this case will understand uh which sides of the site are entrances

[17:15] for the operation side or the construction site. Um, that way the city

[17:19] always has a good strong understanding of what we're doing on the site and if

[17:23] they ever need access to the site or want to come see the site, uh, they have

[17:27] the ability to to get where they need to go.

[17:32] Each phase of the construction process will have different equipment used,

[17:36] working hours, and number of workers required on site. But through each

[17:40] phase, we'll prioritize things like minimizing road congestion through

[17:44] staggered shifts and early starts and using mitigations to minimize dirt and

[17:49] debris. And throughout the whole construction process, we'll continue to

[17:53] focus on visual design efforts to ensure our landscaping and campus is consistent

[17:58] with the surrounding community. Throughout our other campuses in Ohio,

[18:02] we've been making a lot of efforts to minimize uh the impact of our

[18:08] construction uh on the community around us. A really common strategy is that we

[18:14] like to bring in third parties to provide feedback to us um and to walk

[18:19] our sites with us and provide call outs to our general contractor and to the

[18:24] Amazon construction team so that we can make sure to get a third party opinion

[18:29] to take quick action to make sure we're doing everything we can uh to have uh to

[18:35] minimize the impact on uh the areas around the construction site.

[18:41] Hi everyone, I'm Zach Ferrara, a senior data center design manager at Amazon.

[18:47] I'll be sharing some renderings of what the project will look like once

[18:50] construction is complete.

[18:56] On this slide, you can see an aerial view of the site. While dimensions and

[19:00] specific landscaping shown are not 100% accurate, this provides a good depiction

[19:05] of the site layout. Now, to help you get your bearings, on

[19:10] the right side of your screen is South Vandermark Road

[19:15] and on the bottom of the screen is West Mil Creek Road.

[19:22] The primary entrance to our campus is off of West Mil Creek Road. Here,

[19:28] immediately upon entering the campus, there is a security gate and a security

[19:33] building. Above that are some administrative

[19:38] buildings and a parking area.

[19:43] And above that are eight data center buildings. The smallest of which is

[19:48] here. And then seven of uniform size here.

[19:54] Seven data centers.

[19:59] Down here you'll see an on-site utility substation.

[20:05] and three storm water basins. One here, one here, and one here.

[20:14] All surrounded by landscaping. On the left side of your screen, there's

[20:19] an elevated landscaped mound. And this was created to serve as a

[20:25] buffer between our data center campus and the neighboring residential

[20:31] properties.

[20:34] I'll also note that we've performed detailed traffic studies for periods

[20:38] both during construction and after construction and we're working closely

[20:44] with the city and ODOT to implement improvements to help with construction

[20:49] traffic during peak times.

[20:55] On this next slide, you can see a 3D rendering of one of the data center

[20:59] buildings. On the bottom, you'll see the side with our electrical transformers

[21:06] and our generators in their enclosures connected to the building.

[21:13] On the other side of the building, there's a few water tanks. There will be

[21:17] parking and a main entrance to the building.

[21:22] As far as the layout of the building, the center houses some offices and

[21:27] administrative spaces and then on each side of the building

[21:31] there's a data hall and the data hall is where the racks of electronic equipment

[21:36] reside. Hi everyone, I'm Sergio Chima, an energy

[21:41] project manager on the team. I manage the substation builds and utility

[21:46] partnerships that connect our data centers to the grid. It's great to be

[21:49] here. I know data center power is a topic a lot of people are thinking and

[21:54] asking about right now. So today I want to walk through it openly. How much

[21:58] power these facilities actually need, how efficiently we run them, how we keep

[22:02] critical services online, and what our partnership with the utility means for

[22:07] this community.

[22:11] Let me explain how our relationship with utility works because it's structured to

[22:14] be a win for everyone in the region, not just Amazon. First, we're coming in as a

[22:20] customer under a regulated tariff. Amazon will be a large customer of the

[22:25] utility taking power at the transmission level. Because this is a regulated

[22:29] arrangement, it comes with built-in protections for existing utility

[22:32] customers. So, residential and commercial rate payers in the area

[22:36] aren't absorbing the cost of serving our load. The diagram on the right shows

[22:41] where we sit. We're pulling power from the high voltage transmission system

[22:45] upstream of the local distribution network. that serves homes and

[22:49] businesses. Second, we pay for the transmission upgrades we drive. AWS

[22:56] funds the transmission subsystem upgrades needed to bring our campuses

[23:00] online. And we don't just fund the substations. We build, own, and operate

[23:04] them ourselves. That means we carry the capital cost and the operational

[23:09] responsibility for the infrastructure that directly serves our facilities.

[23:15] Third, we contribute beyond our own footprint. On top of the infrastructure

[23:19] dedicated to us, we contribute toward broader systemwide upgrades and

[23:24] reinforcement of existing infrastructure. Those investments

[23:27] improve grid reliability for all customers on the utility systems.

[23:33] So, our presence help strengthen the grid the whole community depends on.

[23:38] Bottom line, you know, we're a large, stable, long-term load that pays its own

[23:43] way, funds its own connection, and invests in the shared grid, all under a

[23:47] regulated framework designed to protect existing customers.

[23:55] First, reliability. The new assets we build to serve our facilities don't just

[24:00] serve Amazon. They're shown to strengthen the resilience and

[24:03] reliability of the broader community's energy system. When we invest in modern

[24:07] transmission and substation infrastructure, that hardening benefits

[24:11] everyone on the grid, not just our campuses. Second, energy efficiency.

[24:17] Amazon operates some of the most efficient data centers in the world. Our

[24:21] facilities run at a power usage effectiveness or PUE score of 1.15. To

[24:27] put that in context, a perfect score is 1.0 and the industry average sits around

[24:32] 1.25. So we're operating very close to the theoretical best and meaningfully

[24:37] better than the typical data center. That efficiency means we get more useful

[24:42] computing out of every unit of energy we draw. Third, carbon-f free energy.

[24:48] Amazon is one of the biggest corporate purchasers of carbon-f free energy

[24:53] across all of our operations and we take this seriously and we've contracted

[24:57] hundreds of CF projects worldwide. And this isn't just a global story. Right

[25:02] here in Ohio, we've contracted 24 wind and solar projects that will add a total

[25:08] of 2.7 gawatts of capacity, enough to power more than 520,000 homes in Ohio.

[25:14] That's direct local investment that adds clean generation to the regional grid.

[25:20] The takeaway, we're not just consuming power. We're helping make the global

[25:24] grid more reliable. We're using energy as efficiently as anyone in the

[25:28] industry. And we're actively investing in clean energy in the communities where

[25:33] we operate.

[25:36] Let me address backup generators. Who they protect, how rarely they run, and

[25:42] where they actually fit in our design. First, who depends on this? Amazon data

[25:47] centers serve millions of customers, including hospitals, first responders,

[25:52] energy systems, and national security agencies. Functions that require

[25:57] uninterrupted 247 operation. When you're supporting life-saving care and critical

[26:03] infrastructure, there's no acceptable amount of downtime.

[26:07] Generators are actually our last line of defense, not our first. It's worth

[26:11] understanding that we design for reliability in layers. We start with

[26:15] redundant utility feeds so a single utility failure doesn't take us down. Be

[26:20] behind that battery systems provide instant power to bridge the brief gap

[26:25] during any transfer. Generators sit behind both of those. They're the

[26:30] emergency backups back stop that only comes into play if the earlier layers

[26:35] are exhausted. So by the time a generator is needed, multiple safeguards

[26:39] have already done their job. And that's why they run so rarely

[26:44] because they're an emergencyonly resource. Each generator runs minimally.

[26:48] And almost all of that limited runtime is required maintenance and reliability

[26:53] testing, not actual outages. Grid disruptions are rare events. The

[26:58] generators simply stand in reserve for the moment that they might be needed.

[27:03] And they're clean and compliant. Our emergency generators meet the same

[27:07] emission standard as modern highway trucks. and they their use and

[27:11] maintenance comply with all applicable state and federal regulations. They're

[27:16] well-maintained, permitted, and monitored. The bottom line is that

[27:20] generators exist to protect the hospitals, first responders, and

[27:24] critical services that depend on us. They're the final safeguard in a

[27:28] multi-layered system used rarely, held to modern emission standards, and

[27:33] operated in full compliance.

[27:42] Hi everyone. Thank you all for being here. Uh my name is Ibrahim Aes and I am

[27:47] a water infrastructure manager at Amazon and I'll be going over why and how data

[27:52] centers use water.

[27:55] We use water for different reasons. Obviously there are the people who are

[27:59] operating the data centers and they have their domestic needs. We also have water

[28:04] for fire suppression. The one we get the most questions about though is water for

[28:08] cooling. There's a misconception amongst people that all data centers use the

[28:13] same amount of cooling water. One thing I want you to take away from this

[28:17] conversation is that is a misconception. Just like cars that don't have the same

[28:22] fuel efficiency, data centers also differ in their water efficiency. We are

[28:27] here at Amazon are very proud of how we use water that leads to industry-leading

[28:33] water efficiency. Data center water use for cooling is a function of three

[28:38] things. Number one, it's a function of how you operate the data center. Two,

[28:43] climate conditions. And three, what type of technology is used? We use highly

[28:48] efficient cooling technology where we only need water for only a fraction of

[28:52] the year. Now, as I mentioned, our data centers

[28:57] are highly water efficient. And in Sydney, we will be using outside air for

[29:02] cooling 97% of the time and only use water 3% of the year when the outside

[29:08] air is too warm to cool the servers. The cooling process is similar to a cooling

[29:13] towel where some of the water that evaporates and the air gets cooled.

[29:18] Using water for cooling allows our data centers to reduce power consumption on

[29:23] the hottest of days of the year by around 25 to 35%.

[29:30] Amazon's data centers have high standards for water efficiency. In fact,

[29:34] we use seven times less water than the industry average for data centers with a

[29:39] water efficiency rate of 12 L per kilowatt hour at full buildout of seven

[29:45] data centers in Sydney. We are projected to use approximately 5 million gallons

[29:50] of water per year, which is significantly less than a typical golf

[29:54] course, which uses around 21 million gallons per year to water its lawns.

[30:01] Now, sustainability is a top priority for Amazon. As we build infrastructure

[30:05] that will power our lives for generations, we've made a commitment to

[30:09] return more water to our communities than we use in our direct operations by

[30:14] 2030. Our water positive projects in Ohio include partnering with the Nature

[30:19] Nature Conservancy and others to restore 11 acres of wetlands in Ohio. The

[30:25] project is expected to filter 77 million gallons of water each year. Amazon is

[30:31] 75% of the way to achieving our water positive goal. In 2025, we returned

[30:36] three gallons for every four gallons we had used. And we've announced over 50

[30:42] water projects that are expected to return over 5.8 8 billion gallons

[30:47] annually once fully implemented.

[30:53] Once operational, our project in Sydney will be fully connected to the existing

[30:56] municipal water supply and sanitary sanitary sewer infrastructure,

[31:01] eliminating the need for on-site groundwater extraction for private or

[31:05] septic systems. This means our operations will not rely on groundwater

[31:10] withdrawals that could affect local aquifer levels, well yields, or

[31:14] groundwater flow conditions. We will be using water from the city of Sydney's

[31:18] public water system, which gets its supply from multiple sources, including

[31:23] groundwater wells, the Great Miami River, and Tawa Creek. The city's

[31:28] existing water system has sufficient capacity to support our existing needs

[31:32] and for any planned growth from project like ours. No additional water or sewer

[31:37] infrastructure is needed to serve our data center project within Sydney

[31:41] because the existing infrastructure can accommodate all of our needs. This means

[31:45] our development will not have any impact on rateayers bills in any way and that

[31:50] is far from what we are looking to have happen.

[31:55] » Hi everyone, I'm Coy Robersonson, community engagement manager. I'm here

[32:00] to talk about Amazon's community engagement efforts. It's important for

[32:04] us to use our scale and resources to strengthen communities where we operate

[32:08] and to dedicate resources to make improvements in areas that matter most

[32:12] to you all. We are ramping up to work closely with local organizations,

[32:17] nonprofits, schools, and community members across Sydney to better

[32:21] understand your needs and find ways to contribute in a way that is both

[32:25] thoughtful and impactful. Our community engagement efforts are anchored by four

[32:30] key pillars. First, STEM education. We collaborate extensively with K through2

[32:37] school districts on science, technology, energy, excuse me, engineering, arts,

[32:42] and mathematical education initiatives. Our think big STEM education programming

[32:47] includes our think big spaces. These are dedicated learning spaces and labs built

[32:53] in a school or community center where students can explore cloud computing and

[32:57] technology. We also have a mobile version of these facilities with

[33:01] dedicated facilitators who will deliver STEM education and conduct training in

[33:06] local schools. These aren't one-time events. They are sustained programs

[33:11] designed to open doors for the next generation. We have already opened 24

[33:16] think big spaces in Ohio in the communities where we operate.

[33:21] Second, skills training initiatives. We invest in workforce development programs

[33:26] designed to help individuals gain the skills needed for careers in cloud

[33:31] computing and infrastructure. By collaborating with local education

[33:35] institutions and community organizations, we'll continue to create

[33:39] opportunities for students, job seekers, and career changers to build in- demand

[33:44] skills. Sustainability. We are committed to environmental

[33:49] stewardship, working toward 100% renewable energy and net zerocarbon

[33:54] emissions. At a local level, we will make efforts to hear from you on what

[33:59] you would most like to see across Sydney. But what we've delivered to date

[34:03] to communities across the country include everything from planting trees

[34:07] for canopy, rehabilitating community gardens for education and food sources,

[34:12] creating new green spaces, solar builds for local community buildings and smart

[34:17] wetland projects. Fourth, hyperloal impact. This again

[34:23] meaning means listening to what the community needs. We will support

[34:28] organizations, community-driven projects that address the priorities that you

[34:32] identify. Whether that is supporting local nonprofit organizations, disaster

[34:37] relief efforts, sponsoring local festivals and events, volunteering at

[34:42] the local food bank, improving access to education, healthcare, and basic

[34:46] resources, or building a new playground for the young people.

[34:50] Amazon has partnered with the community fund, the community foundation of Shelby

[34:54] County and will host a community engagement meet and greet in Sydney open

[34:58] to community organizations around Shelby County. We are also welcome working

[35:03] together to launch a $100,000 community fund that will open on September 17th,

[35:09] 2026. For more information, visit the

[35:13] Community Foundation of Shelby County website.

[35:20] Hi everyone, great to be here. I'm John Workman, economic development manager

[35:24] for AWS. And today I'm going to talk about exciting economic development and

[35:28] workforce opportunities coming to Sydney as a result of the data center

[35:32] development. We plan to invest $3 billion and create

[35:37] at least 75 direct jobs as a result of the project. But beyond job creation,

[35:42] our investment will create economic benefits for the city community.

[35:46] Amazon's agreement with the city includes $50 million in direct payments

[35:50] that school and city leaders can direct towards priorities like fixing roads,

[35:54] investing in public safety, and more. Additionally, the data centers will

[35:58] support hundreds more jobs during the construction phase and across the data

[36:02] center supply chain and in the local community.

[36:06] As part of our commitment to building a pipeline of local talent, Amazon

[36:10] partners with local education and workforce development organizations in

[36:14] the community to help them align their efforts to the demand for cloud

[36:17] computing and infrastructure talent. The expansion of cloud computing technology

[36:22] over the last decades has resulted in an explosion of demand in talent and our

[36:27] team's role is to translate that growth in demand into opportunity for learners

[36:32] and job seekers in the communities where we build. Just like here in Sydney, as

[36:36] Brandon mentioned earlier, this demand is continuing to be created by all the

[36:40] things you can do on your phone, tablet, and laptops. All sectors of the economy

[36:44] are either born in the cloud or running cloud computing work streams. Those

[36:49] customers require data centers to carry their loads and that's where we focus on

[36:54] the demand for talent at the physical layer of the technology stack.

[36:59] We bucket that demand, thousands of jobs and roles into four functional areas.

[37:05] Building data centers, connecting them with fiber, providing them with power,

[37:09] and operating and maintaining them. The jobs that you see here on this slide

[37:16] are just a small cross-section of the roles related to that important work.

[37:20] The overwhelming majority of those these roles, the high demand careers are with

[37:24] our vendors and contractors. But at Amazon, we also have a robust demand for

[37:29] talent. As of the end of 2025, we've hired over 1,500 full-time employees in

[37:34] the state of Ohio with over $160 million in annual payroll to support our ongoing

[37:40] data center operations. What we think about is how to translate

[37:44] that demand into opportunity for residents. Our solution is to work with

[37:48] the local education and workforce development organizations in the region

[37:51] to help make sure those two things are aligned.

[37:56] This work has been going on for many years in Ohio and cuts across three

[37:59] different dimensions. Preparing instructors and making sure they are

[38:03] fluent and well-versed in industry technologies. Working with educators and

[38:07] workforce development program developers to make sure what students are learning

[38:11] is authentic and reflects what they will need when they enter the workforce. And

[38:15] making sure the facilities where the learning happens are equipped with the

[38:18] tools and equipment job seekers will need. As you can tell from the roles

[38:22] previously discussed, many of these are hands-on and skills trade-based roles

[38:27] where we think about managing electrical systems, mechanical systems, HVAC, fiber

[38:33] optic technology. So, we make sure the equipment they are learning on reflects

[38:37] what they will use on the job. AWS partners with organizations across

[38:43] Ohio to deliver skills-based training that prepares people for careers in data

[38:47] center operations. Our programs include the data center operations program, the

[38:52] AWS Academy cloud computing curriculum with Columbus State Community College,

[38:56] and workbased learning pathways that connect participants to internships and

[39:00] entry-level roles. To address the growing need for fiber skilled talent,

[39:05] AWS and Sumattomo Electric Lightwave co-hosted fiber optic fusion splicing

[39:09] certificate courses during Ohio's first ever fiber broadband awareness week.

[39:14] During these free two-day courses organized in conjunction with Tols

[39:18] Career and Technical Center, Sinclair Community College, the Past Foundation,

[39:22] and Team Fishial, participants were able to get hands-on skills for fiber optic

[39:27] installation and repair, plus a career networking session with some of those in

[39:30] the industry. AWS also introduced a fiber optic technician course at the

[39:35] National Center for Urban Solutions, helping graduates earn certifications

[39:39] and connect with broadband employers. Building on this momentum, we have

[39:43] launched two more initiatives. The information infrastructure workshop for

[39:47] educators or I2W, which gives central Ohio educators insight into cloud

[39:52] infrastructure careers so they can better guide students and the

[39:55] information infrastructure pre-apprenticeship program or I2PA,

[39:59] which is a 120 hour paid program for individuals with limited prior

[40:04] experience. I2PA offers instruction from local contractors in fiber optics,

[40:09] mechanical systems, and electrical work. At Tolse Tech, participants earned

[40:13] industry credentials and attended a job fair with AWS and contractor hiring

[40:17] managers, connecting technical training directly to career opportunities in

[40:21] cloud computing. We look forward to working closely with the Sydney

[40:24] community to advance these economic and workforce opportunities.

[40:33] Thank you to our Amazon team for their wonderful presentations. I hope that the

[40:38] experts were able to provide everyone valuable insights on the project.

[40:43] As promised, we would like to address your questions. We received a lot of

[40:48] questions during the registration. to make sure that we cover as much as

[40:52] possible. We're we have decided to group our questions into to the top themes

[40:57] we've heard most frequently from you. I have John here with me now and we will

[41:03] bring in Abraham shortly to address your water related questions. So John, let's

[41:08] get started. One of the first things we heard from

[41:11] the community was about energy. Specifically, how is Amazon working with

[41:16] AES to ensure grid reliability is maintained? Um, and that the

[41:22] infrastructure costs aren't passed over to the residential customers.

[41:28] Great question, Caroline. The short answer is that Amazon pays its own way.

[41:32] Uh, any new transmission or distribution infrastructure for our project is

[41:36] entirely funded by Amazon, not by the rateayers. Um, residential customers

[41:40] will not see rate increases as a result of our project. And the way that we do

[41:44] that is that we work closely with the utility provider, in this case AES Ohio,

[41:48] and also the overall interconnection grid through PJM to model the load

[41:53] impacts well before we come online and before our facilities ramp up power

[41:57] demand. Um, we ramp up gradually, so there's no sudden strain on the system.

[42:01] Um, grid reliability for existing customers is really a baseline

[42:05] requirement for us, not an afterthought. So, it's something that we're thinking

[42:08] about on the front end. Um, and as Sergio mentioned earlier, Amazon is one

[42:12] of the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy, committed to powering

[42:15] our operations of 100% renewable energy, which supports long-term grid

[42:19] diversification and energy resilience for the entire region. So, you know,

[42:23] essentially in the end, we'll end up providing benefits for all customers.

[42:27] » Thanks, John. That's really helpful. Staying on the economic side, beyond the

[42:32] de direct positions, how does Amazon investment support broader economic

[42:37] impact in the county? >> Yeah, and this is obviously my bread and

[42:42] butter. So, building on what I covered in our economic development segment, I

[42:45] mean, the direct jobs that we're talking about really are just the starting

[42:48] point. Um, what I really want to highlight is the multiplier effect this

[42:51] project is going to create. Our investment generates ongoing demand for

[42:55] local goods, services, skilled trades, all of those things that are going to

[42:59] support small businesses throughout Shelby County and the region as a whole.

[43:02] Everything from construction materials, food service, professional services,

[43:06] hospitality, the the list kind of goes on and on. There's going to be increased

[43:10] property tax revenues that are going to flow directly to the local schools, the

[43:13] first responders. They're going to be used to build roads to help uh create

[43:17] community infrastructure that are really going to benefit all the residents. Um,

[43:21] our supply chain requires ongoing maintenance, supplies, service

[43:24] contracts, many of which can be filled by local and regional vendors and we

[43:28] will strive to do that. And there are a lot of studies that show that data

[43:31] center investments consistently create um additional jobs beyond what is

[43:35] actually created at the data center. Some sometimes upwards of five or six

[43:39] jobs are created in the local economy for each job that's created at a data

[43:42] center. So the economic benefit of these projects is significantly broader than

[43:46] just the direct jobs at the site, which will still be significant.

[43:51] very valuable. Can you talk a little bit more about how Amazon will partner with

[43:56] the local Shelby County organizations to prepare residents for job opportunities?

[44:01] » Yeah, it's it's a good segue. So, we're committed to making sure that Shelby

[44:05] County residents are are available and in line for the opportunities that this

[44:08] project creates. Uh we're going to partner with the local community

[44:11] colleges and the technical schools and the workforce development boards to

[44:14] build the training pipelines, tuition assistance, certifications,

[44:18] apprenticeship programs. Uh obviously, we'll be working closely with the local

[44:22] economic development organizations, chambers, and community groups to align

[44:26] on workforce readiness needs and hiring needs. And during construction, we're

[44:30] going to work closely with our general contractors and obviously with their

[44:32] subs as well to prioritize local subcontractors and regional labor

[44:37] wherever that's possible. So, uh, we will continue to to deepen those

[44:41] partnerships and those relationships over the coming months as construction

[44:44] gets underway. >> Thank you. So, good to hear. Now,

[44:49] shifting over to construction. Uh, can you share more about what steps Amazon

[44:54] will be taking to minimize traffic impacts for neighbors who might live

[44:58] very close to that site? >> Yeah, another good segue. And and I

[45:02] certainly understand this concern. I have data centers that are being

[45:05] constructed in my community uh kind of on both sides. both east and west. So,

[45:10] um before work begins, we're going to do detailed traffic management plans in

[45:13] coordination with the city and the local transportation authorities. The heavy

[45:17] trucks are going to follow designated hall routes away from residential and

[45:21] school zones. We're going to monitor road conditions and obviously if any

[45:24] roads are degraded or damaged as a result of our construction, we are going

[45:28] to repair those and we will cover the cost to repair those. We adhere to the

[45:32] local noise ordinances and limit the most impactful activities to during the

[45:36] day, right during the business hours. Um, and the campus is going to be built

[45:40] in phases. Uh, so the activity is going to be spread out over time than all

[45:43] seven buildings being constructed at one time. Um, I would encourage residents if

[45:48] they experience issues at any point, uh, reach out to our community team or reach

[45:52] out to your city representatives who obviously know how to get a hold of us

[45:55] because we want to be responsive throughout the entire process.

[46:00] Thank you for sharing. Definitely a example of being a good neighbor, making

[46:05] sure that we're taking these uh ways to make sure that we're being uh listening

[46:10] to our our neighbors and being being there to address those actual questions.

[46:14] Um the next question that I have, can you tell us a little bit more about

[46:18] engineering plans for screening the site on the western and the southern

[46:24] exposure? >> Yeah, absolutely. I think Zach did a

[46:26] great job of of kind of showing that to us in the design segment. But on the

[46:30] western and the southern exposure specifically, there's going to be

[46:33] multi-layered screening. So that's going to include canopy trees, understory

[46:37] plantings, some burming where we have the space to be able to do that. And

[46:41] really the goal is to have yearround visual buffering from adjacent

[46:46] properties and roadways. And you know, obviously some of that is going to take

[46:49] time. We know how long it takes for things to grow in Ohio. The trees are

[46:52] not going to grow up overnight. Um but we have those plans in place and that is

[46:56] the the end intent. Um they were developed with professional landscape

[46:59] architects obviously comply with local codes. Typically we exceed minimum

[47:04] requirements with respect to tree planting and and screening of our

[47:07] facilities. So they've been reviewed throughout the permitting process in

[47:10] coordination with the local planning staff. Um and we're committed to making

[47:14] sure that the plantings will will continue to grow up and if not we will

[47:17] replace them and continue to interact with the community and and figure out

[47:19] what works best. >> Good to hear. Um, another question that

[47:24] came up about the process itself. Um, what does Amazon look for when selecting

[47:29] a site and partnering with the community and why are there NDAs required?

[47:35] Our site selection process is multifaceted. Uh, robust utility

[47:38] infrastructure that won't strain existing resources is obviously very

[47:42] important to us. access to a skilled workforce, which we think that we have

[47:45] in this region, compatible land use, permitting pathways, uh, fiber

[47:50] connectivity, and most importantly, a community that actually wants us to be

[47:54] there, right? A community that recognizes the benefits of an economic

[47:57] development project like this. Um, on NDA specifically, um, confidentiality

[48:02] during site selection is is kind of a standard process across economic

[48:06] development. It's not unique to us or even to data centers. uh spent a long

[48:10] time working for the state on the economic development side before coming

[48:12] to Amazon. So I know that pretty well. Um a couple of the reasons behind it on

[48:16] the business side, it prevents land speculation that could drive up costs

[48:20] and potentially kill a project's viability. Um it allows us to have some

[48:23] open, honest dialogue with the local officials about what the project could

[48:26] potentially look like once we have those answers. Um and it protects competitive

[48:30] business information when multiple communities are under consideration,

[48:33] which is often the case. We're looking for these opportunities essentially

[48:36] everywhere. So once a project is confirmed and announced though, that's

[48:39] when we can shift to transparent community engagement as we're doing here

[48:43] today. Um and the NDA phase is just kind of a necessary step in the process for

[48:47] us to get where we are today. >> Thank you. Uh one more question for you,

[48:53] John. Um the next one is about being near the rail line. Uh was it selected

[48:59] for that reason? Will Amazon use the rail to transport materials or power

[49:04] equipment such as small nuclear reactors to the site?

[49:09] » Yeah, I've heard this one been brought up at some some of the public hearings

[49:12] and and the quick answer is no on both counts. On site selection, proximity to

[49:17] a rail line is actually identified by us as a risk during site selection. Uh

[49:21] industry best practices for our hardware specifically recommend staying away from

[49:25] rail lines, airports, heavy traffic corridors. Um, I know I have a rail line

[49:29] not too far from my house and when the trains come through you can feel it,

[49:32] right? There's a vibration which is not necessarily great for computer

[49:35] equipment. So, typically we avoid rail lines and everything that's going to

[49:39] come into the data center, our supplies, all that kind of stuff is going to come

[49:43] via truck just like any other commercial building. Um, on the nuclear reactor

[49:47] piece, we're not planning to transport small nuclear reactors or any other

[49:51] power generation equipment to this site via the rail or really any other means

[49:55] via truck, whatever it might be. Um, our data center is going to be powered by

[49:58] the existing AES Ohio electrical grid. Uh, as Sergio covered earlier, um, the

[50:03] same as any other building, office building, hospital, uh, whatever it

[50:07] might be. Um, while broadly the tech industry is starting to explore these

[50:11] things, they're still largely in the development stage. Um, and there's

[50:14] obviously a lot of licensing and permitting and things that would go

[50:17] along with that. So, no plans exist for this site. U, we're powered by the grid,

[50:21] supplied by truck, and we're going to operate just like any other commercial

[50:24] property in the area. Thank you. I appreciate that answer. I

[50:29] know I said one more, but now I got one more because I think this is very

[50:32] important based off uh what we received from those who registered. This one

[50:37] question is about values of homes. So, how do data centers impact home values?

[50:44] » Again, one that I certainly understand and and can sympathize with having data

[50:48] centers in my community as well. Um, there have been a number of different

[50:52] studies that have examined property values and data center communities and

[50:55] they consistently show that the the data centers themselves do not negatively

[50:59] impact residential property values and in some cases actually the opposite.

[51:02] They've actually caused the residential property values to to increase. Um,

[51:06] we're quiet. We're low traffic neighbors compared to other industrial users. We

[51:10] generate minimal vehicle trips u because we operate 24/7. So, people are coming

[51:15] in and out at different shift times. Um the tax revenue that's going to be

[51:18] generated is obviously going to create some significant funds for improvements

[51:21] for the local community. Um in other places where we've operated for a long

[51:25] time like Northern Virginia, central Ohio, property values have continued to

[51:29] appreciate alongside with our data center growth. So um we're happy to

[51:33] connect any interested residents with thirdparty research on this topic so

[51:37] they can kind of read through that for themselves and and become educated on

[51:39] that topic. >> Thank you, John. Uh we know that water

[51:45] was one of the topics that we received the most questions about. So I would

[51:49] like to bring Ibraham back to address those questions. Abraham I know earlier

[51:55] covered uh different uh topics around water. So as a expert in this area I

[52:02] have a few questions for you that I would like you to address. Um the first

[52:07] question is Amazon water needs may impact lower water supplies and also the

[52:12] projected water consumption. Can you talk us through that?

[52:16] » Yeah. No uh that's a great question Caroline. Um um uh and I think it's an

[52:22] important one to answer. Uh as I covered in my presentation uh our data centers

[52:26] are designed to be highly water efficient. Uh we're using water around

[52:30] 30 uh 3% of the year only on the hottest days of the year. the rest of the year

[52:34] effectively opening up the windows and letting the outside air cool all the

[52:39] servers. Um, in addition to that, AWS is always researching new technologies and

[52:44] new ways to be able to use less water for cooling so that our operations can

[52:49] be even more efficient. What I want to emphasize here is that for the city of

[52:53] Sydney, the existing water system has a sufficient capacity to serve both the

[52:59] current community needs as well as the projected demand for our operations.

[53:04] We're not competing with local residents for water. We want to be a good

[53:07] neighbor. Um just to reiterate also at full buildout our annual usage of water

[53:14] is going to be approximately 5 million gallons um across seven data centers.

[53:20] And if there's about three things I want people to take away from from this

[53:24] question and answer period this this presentation is number one uh that all

[53:28] the water will be sourced from the city's municipal system. There will be

[53:31] no private wells, no groundwater extraction whatsoever on our part. So

[53:35] that we will have no impacts on the local aquifer. Um there will be no new

[53:40] water or sewer infrastructure needed to serve our project. And lastly, there

[53:46] will be no impacts in any way from our operations or us being a neighbor to the

[53:50] water rates for existing customers. Our our ultimate goal is to be a good

[53:55] neighbor and have minimal impact on on the lives of our neighbors around us.

[54:03] » Thank you, Ibraham. One more question for you. Will the water column for wells

[54:07] in the area be affected by the water draw?

[54:11] » Yeah, like I mentioned um and I want to be very clear about this. The answer is

[54:15] uh categorically no. um our operations will rely will not rely on any

[54:21] groundwater withdrawals whatsoever. We're connecting exclusively to the

[54:25] city's municipal system. We're not going to extract any groundwater from on-site

[54:30] wells um or anything that has to do with the local groundwater whatsoever. Uh

[54:35] which means our operations will not have any effect on the local aquifer levels,

[54:39] their well yields or groundwater flow conditions for neighboring properties.

[54:45] » Thank you, Abraham. That was very useful. John, thank you for your time as

[54:49] well. That covers the top submissions from the community for the time that we

[54:54] have today. We really appreciate everyone for joining us. We'll be sure

[54:58] to send out the recorded link of this session to the city of Sydney to share

[55:02] on their data center FAQ page, which is updated regularly with the latest

[55:08] information about this project. We are proud to be investing in this community

[55:12] and we will continue to strive to be a good neighbor. I hope that you all have

[55:16] a good evening.

Amazon Data Center Community Information Session Webinar 9 3 26

Transcript