AWS Project Starbound Mississippi: $13B 1GW+ AI Cluster
Status: Under Construction / Initial Power-Up (March 2026) | Location: Madison County (Canton/Ridgeland) & Vicksburg
Project Overview
Project Starbound is the foundational engine of Mississippi's "Digital Delta." Originally announced as a $10 billion investment in Madison County, the project expanded to $13 billion in early 2026 with a $3 billion satellite campus in Vicksburg. Technically, the project utilizes the AWS "Starbound" architecture, which prioritizes ultra-dense GPU clusters for generative AI training. As of March 2026, the first building in Madison County has officially been energized, making it the fastest major hyperscale build-out in AWS history. The Vicksburg expansion specifically targets National Security and sovereign AI workloads, benefiting from the city's proximity to federal research centers. Environmental sustainability is managed through a partnership with Entergy Mississippi, utilizing a mix of new solar farms and the state's first utility-scale wind farm in Tunica County. To solve the talent gap, AWS has trained over 6,500 Mississippians through its "Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship" program.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | AWS Project Starbound Mississippi: $13B 1GW+ AI Cluster |
| Location | Madison County (Canton/Ridgeland) & Vicksburg |
| Status | Under Construction / Initial Power-Up (March 2026) |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 (Madison) Live: Q1 2026; Vicksburg Online: 2027 |
| Total IT Load | ~1,000 MW (1 GW) projected regional aggregate |
| Total Capacity | Multi-campus AI-optimized hyperscale zone |
| Tier Level | Tier IV (Mission-Critical AI Infrastructure) |
| Project Type | Deep-Learning Training & Regional Cloud Gateway |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Madison |
| Population | ~372,000 (county population, 2024 est.) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~680,000 (Huntsville Metropolitan Area) |
| City GDP | ~USD 40–45 billion (Huntsville metro GDP est.) |
| Per Capita Income | ~USD 45,000–50,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 2 (High-growth U.S. tech and aerospace hub) |
| Key Strengths | Aerospace & defense (NASA, DoD presence), AI & engineering talent, strong STEM workforce, advanced manufacturing, rapid population growth, high quality of life |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Amazon Web Services |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Mississippi Development Authority / Entergy MS. |
| Construction Contractor | Peak workforce of 6,000–7,000 trade workers through 2027. |
| MEP Engineering | AWS Global Infrastructure Engineering. |
| Network Connectivity | Dedicated high-bandwidth fiber spine connecting the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. |
| Power Infrastructure | 1 GW+ capacity; supported by "Delta Wind" and local solar. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | 1,000 MW (Total Campus Goal) |
| UPS Redundancy | $2N$ architecture with on-site utility-scale BESS. |
| Cooling System | Evaporative cooling with 100% recycled water commitment. |
| Connectivity | Core Southern U.S. hub for AWS Bedrock and Titan models. |
| PUE Target | < 1.15 |
| Energy Mix | 100% Renewable matching (Wind/Solar/Nuclear mix via Entergy). |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
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| Announcement | Announcement: Jan 2024; Vicksburg Add: Nov 2025; 1st Live: Mar 2026. |
| Construction Start | January 25, 2024 (Initial Project Reveal) |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Early 2024 |
| Full Buildout | March 2026 (Operational) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $13 Billion |
| Funding | Amazon.com, Inc. Capital Expenditure. |