Amazon Web Services (AWS) broke ground on a $10 billion AI innovation campus in Richmond County, North Carolina, in October 2025. The site, located in the Energy Way Industrial Park near Hamlet, is planned to host up to 20 buildings specifically designed for generative AI and hyperscale cloud services. The campus leverages its proximity to Duke Energy’s Smith Energy Complex for high-capacity power transmission. This investment represents one of the largest capital projects in North Carolina history and includes significant workforce development partnerships with local community colleges for AI infrastructure operations.

AWS — Richmond County AI Innovation Campus

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