Lauderdale County will soon be host to data centers needed to operate online businesses, streaming services and digital storage after Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday a $10 billion project is coming to the area.

 

Dallas-based Compass Datacenters will establish a data center campus in Lauderdale County where it will build eight data centers over the next eight years. The campuses built by the company are designed to last more than a century and create economies that support local jobs and businesses, the governor’s office announced in a news release.

 

“This $10 billion megadeal is huge for Lauderdale County and the entire state as we continue an impressive economic development streak that is unprecedented in Mississippi. Through our pro-business policies and favorable business environment, we continue to establish our state as an ideal location for high-tech developments by providing the resources needed for innovation and growth,” Reeves said. “I thank the Compass Datacenters team for its well-placed confidence in our people and in our business climate, which will provide ample opportunities for the company and the residents of Meridian and Lauderdale County now and for generations to come.”

 

At a press conference Thursday, Meridian Mayor Jimmie Smith said the data centers and the jobs they bring will change Meridian for the better. Local officials have long talked about bringing industries or businesses to town, he said, and Compass Datacenters is those conversations being made real.

 

“It’s a generational wealth project that will help our community grow and build Meridian,” he said. “It is one of the best things we ever could have.”

 

Smith said he wanted to thank all who had a part in moving the project forward and looked forward to the positive change it will bring for his city.

 

“It’s actually going to change the culture of Meridian,” he said.

 

According to its website, Compass Datacenters operates data centers in Dallas, Texas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Phoenix, Arizona, Nashville,Tennessee, Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbus, Georgia, and Boston, Massachusetts, as well as Montreal and Toronto in Canada. Once completed, the Meridian campus will be one of the largest data facilities in the region and is expected to bring more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, the company stated in a news release.

 

Bill Hannah, president and CEO of the East Mississippi Business and Development Corporation, said bringing the project to Lauderdale County was the work of many at both the state and local level.

 

“Since meeting the Compass Datacenter folks in February 2024, it has been one exciting experience. First, we need to thank Mississippi Power for bringing Compass to us. Mississippi Power’s investment in a substation for the I-20/59 Industrial Park, along with Lauderdale County’s ability to work with the Mississippi Legislature for a $4 million site grant, an additional MDA site grant and the city of Meridian’s water/sewer investment years ago, truly made this site a speed to market option for Compass,” he said. “Thank you Compass Datacenters for selecting Meridian, Lauderdale County for your Mississippi campus.”

 

The Mississippi Development Authority is helping with site preparation for the centers and also plans to certify Compass as a data center operator, providing the company with state income and franchise tax exemptions for 10 years. Compass will also receive sales and use tax exemptions on construction materials, equipment, software and hardware.

 

Mississippi Power, which is also involved in the project, is expected to supply roughly 500 megawatts of power to the facility once it is completed. Anthony Willson, president and CEO of Mississippi Power, said the company is proud of the role it plays in bringing economic development projects to fruition throughout its service area.

 

“Mississippi Power has been an integral part of the economic development effort to bring more jobs and industries to our state for nearly a century,” he said. “Mississippi Power has the generating power to support a growing Mississippi while maintaining reliable service for our customers. Our company is proud to be a part of the strategic team that delivered this significant investment to East Mississippi.”

 

AJ Byers, president and chief development officer for Compass Datacenters, said the company is looking forward to coming to Meridian and thanked all those involved in helping the project come to fruition.

 

“We are looking forward to building our next campus in Meridian,” he said. “We appreciate the time and effort Mississippi Development Authority, East Mississippi Business Development Corporation and Mississippi Power have invested with us to bring this project to fruition and look forward to bringing good-paying jobs and economic benefits to the region for decades to come.”