Jackson Jambalaya

Never realized MS needed that much data-

Brown outs coming for RC…

Is this the development around Home Depot or close to Amphitheater ? Great news!

Will they hire Rankin Rednecks? Asking for a Robin Hood resident.

This is timely because AOL is soon dropping their "dial-up" connectivity. This will be an incentive for Rankin County to go fiber.

I would think widening 18 would be a priority. The traffic is already terrible. It would take years to bring in dirt to build it up to road level. Especially with everything else coming to the area.

Rankin First actually did something. Go figure.

AI will be the next dot.com bust. I'm glad this incessantly and loudly humming, water and electricity hogging facility which will employ about 10 people after it is completed, is located far away from me.

Just as NIKNAR residents were planning to head over to Canton for similar 'announced' opportunities.

These 'glory holes' are going to dot the country like windmills and solar panels.

First thing you know, we'll ditch telegraph lines and start sticking electric transmission poles in the ground everywhere. But, telephone booths in fancy, air conditioned hotels will never disappear.

Cool, another investment in RC

Mississippi is simply a lily pad in the strategerie.

Do you think Mississippi was chosen for its low crime, quality labor force or quality of life amenities in the neighborhood?

Sustainable data centers - an oxymoron?

$6 billion investment and only 60 jobs - definitely better than nothing but a large manufacturing facility with lots of jobs would be better.

Another secret utility agreement between data center and Entergy that excludes PSC oversight coming soon?

wonder how much it cost us

There is a reason that these massive data centers are coming to Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico. And it ain't our workforce.

$6 billion investment only generates 60 jobs?

9:51,This is part of the Old Marquette Cement property!

I wish MDA new that Mississippi extends south of I-20.

Mississippi needs to realize these data centers are vampires for our natural resources and cheap power. The power is cheap because rate holders pay for the upgrades, and these guys get tax breaks. $6b project... but 60 jobs... but we get to pay for the generation costs for years to come.

Meanwhile our Capital City twidles its thumb and continues to drive business away with the cavalier, growing culture rot.

I believe I read an article recently that talked about how the state/power company is basically going to have to pass on the cost of the infrastructure to the other people because the companies have something in their agreements that shields them from the costs. Can't remember where the article was, it may have been on this site. If that is correct then folks are about to get some big rate increases with all these data centers because you know we don't currently have the infrastructure for it. Hope its work the temporary construction jobs and the few higher tech jobs that they bring in.

“Securing a multi-billion-dollar investment like AVAIO Digital’s $6 billion data center campus doesn’t happen by chance—it’s the result of Mississippi’s laser-focused strategy to attract world-class companies through our strong economic development resources, including work-ready employees and shovel-ready sites. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Reeves and our Legislature, Mississippi continues to win transformative billion-dollar projects like AVAIO that will shape the future of our economy.”

Well, laser-focusing assisted by all sorts of protests, lawsuits, and refusals at nearly everywhere else these data centers already are (to stop more of them) or have been proposed (to prevent them in the first place). Look no further away than over in Bessemer, AL and the shitstorm over that one. It's real easy to be the best at pounding nails into your own asscheeks when all other potential contenders are handing you nails and laughing at you.

Those areas have discovered that a "$X billion dollar data center" is a net-negative in dollars for the area because the owner/developer spending "$X billion" on equipment elsewhere, and then, having it untaxed at the location (along with property tax abatements) is not a "$X billion" influx to the area. If it actually brings any money at all into the area during the construction, it is quickly negated by the post-construction costs to the area, in both real dollars and quality of life.

Yet another example of "winning" by being a sucker and going after something everyone else is backing away from en masse.

AI will be the next dot.com bust.

Cell companies thought 5G would be sold at a premium. Didn't pan out. Paywalls, how did that work out? So suddenly a world used to free search is going to pay a premium for AI? Don't think so. It will put people out of work but then what? The liberals would crow 'learn to code' when they'd be wise to learn how to mow. When AI busts and crypto ponzi crashes you're looking at a global depression never even imagined.

10:44 don't believe everything you read. There are alot of people out there with personal agendas that want to pass off "doom & gloom" opinions as facts...and get clicks and sell ads. Investments like these data centers are good for MS's economy and will help move our state forward.

I'm sure you're the same one who always brings up niknar. Have you touched some grass lately? Or a boob? Might want to get out more. The same old tired line is old, can you not do better?

In very simple terms, if some "developer" wanted to dispose of some raw sewage ("boo-boo" in Jackghanistanian) and offered to pay 1/2 the principal and interest, but none of taxes and insurance or maintenance, on your home (as long as you agreed to forever waive any and all damage claims) to use it as a disposal site, would you consider that a great offer and accept it? Would you issue a press release announcing your big "win?"

This Makes 3 data centers for the area. I think this is good news. It’s where the future is headed. We don’t want to be left behind in Mississippi, goodness knows how many years we have been behind.

Yes, but "shovel ready" jobs.

True, but Tater can add this to his resume when he inevitably runs for higher office while these data companies pad his PAC's bottom line.

I live in Rankin County and I am curious how spelling Rankin backwards is supposed to somehow be a slur against us? These people like a poster above, who put NIKNAR just sound like complete morons. Oh excuse me.......they sound like complete SNOROM.

By the way, I don't: beat my wife, use meth, have a salt life sticker on a ford F150, a boat I cant pay for, have a 30 A sticker, and I have a college education.

and I think the goon squad were a bunch of assholes

Sincerely,

myself and prob quite a few other rankin county residents

As 10:30 AM pointed out, there are residents in South Mississippi. Maybe the MDA just doesn't know that.

If it actually brings any money at all into the area during the construction ...

Drive up to the AWS action in Madison County and tell me how many license plates you see from Texas and other non-Mississippi states. Might be generating revenue (and taxes) for lodging and food but those ain't Mississippi construction jobs get payrolled.

Just don't count on the centers to produce enough jobs to make a dent.

How will AI replace humans by being “perfect” when they are learning from an “imperfect” being (as much as we hate to admit). It’s going to be just as dumb and misinformed as the humans creating it.

All true. Tater is an ambitious chump and not telling the public the whole truth. Most of the employees will be coming from out of state and it is highly likely that the main contractor will be also. The hardware will also be sourced from out of state.

Go easy on the "Niknar" posts, as the Niknarians are very thin skinned.

So Connecticut found a cheap rural state for hundreds of acres of data centers using boosted electricity rates borne on the backs of poorly educated rednecks. Next, Entergy can find a way for data centers to generate their own electricity consumption, separate from the regional grid.

to 11:22.....glad to see you are normal person. and i sincerely mean that.

but, when it comes to rankin county , normal people are a very small minority.

I think 10:55 pretty well nailed it. What is the net positive 10-20 years down the road. Id guess it is actually a net negative.

These data centers are seeking low cost utilities such as water and electricity. Compare the rates of Entergy, Mississippi Power and EPAs supplied by TVA. It also depends on how much tax abatement, etc. the local governmental entities are willing to give.

Just like with the Amazon data center everyone should want to know if the margin earned on the electricity consumption provides the required return on investment in new facilities to serve them. If it doesn’t then they should be required to pay a contribution in aid of construction that gets the required return for the utility. In addition, the IRS has ruled that this contribution is taxable income, and it must be grossed up to yield an after-tax amount that was calculated.

The agreement with Amazon excludes PSC oversight thanks to our legislature. If you don’t think they are hiding something then you are clueless. The negotiated rates between utilities and their customers are usually confidential, but them hiding the cost of the facility upgrades and where that cost is being recovered should be a concern to everyone.

Ole smooth talking Butch is grinning ear to ear, driving that old white truck and patting people on the back assuring them it is in the best interest of them & Brandon, all the while there's a stain on your back from his greased palms. Folks, he'll sell you and your community down the river all for the chance to "transform" Brandon. Don't forget in 2019 he was all about improving our highway system when he ran for Transportation Commissioner.

"As a mayor, I have experienced first-hand the challenges facing our infrastructure. We must work diligently today to address the maintenance and capacity issues facing our highways, bridges, ports, and airports."

Well the area that data center is going has some MAJOR infrastructure issues, starting with the roads and their capacity...on both ends.....now we are going to add in this strain on not only on the water and electrical grid, but also the traffic in and around several of our schools and Greenfield/Hwy 18 area that are already gridlocked in the mornings. But I am sure that was all thought of well before this was inked.

"Capacity"
"Transformative"

The real winners here are Entergy's stockholders - government subsidized sales revenue!

Ignore the Rankin hater trolls or your gonna summon the relentless "green teeth" weak insult guy.

He's like Beetlejuice, and just appears if he hears Niknar 3 times.

ok but can I use it to mine bitcoin?

MS negotiates with cheap energy and tax abatements. When the tax benefit run out so do the companies

Only 60 jobs?

@11:33 AM. Yes, yes, yes. A total farce. All those construction workers with out-of-state plates drive up 55 every morning between 5:30 and 6:00 headed to the site. You can't miss them because they are so many of them. We are totally being played and nobody is reporting on the scam.

Will the renowned local philosopher Socrates Garrett be the contractor?

There are so many misinformed posts here! The focus shouldn't be on jobs but on the capital investments from AVIAO, AWS, and other data centers. A crucial aspect to consider is the tax revenue generated by these facilities. They create tens of millions of dollars in ad valorem and school taxes for the city and county, which can help stabilize or even reduce our general property taxes while providing substantial funding for public school systems. As for the general public's concern about funding the necessary infrastructure, that's a misconception. The user will ultimately absorb this cost, much of which is upfront and included in the $6 billion investment.

I think Rankin Countians need to start contacting the Board of Supervisors and City Aldermen and asking them when this project hits the tax roll to reduce the County and City Millage Rate and put it back into the pockets of the taxpayers, so they don’t waste this cash windfall, which they usually do.

Yes the tax investment would be great if they were not given tax exemptions by the politicians. It will probably be years before any property tax is collected on this. Oops they left that out of the press announcement.

Seems like people don’t want Mississippi to change. Why type of new developments do people want? More chicken plants? Our neighboring states will gladly take all the high tech developments we reject.

@12:49 pm The cost to build the facility and the cost of infrastructure by utilities to provide service are separate issues. The cost of utility infrastructure should be everyone’s concern. These customers are getting reduced ad valorem tax reductions for coming here. That is widely known. Your theoretical view is not what is actually happening.

... Rankin Countians need to start contacting the Board of Supervisors and City Aldermen and asking them when this project hits the tax roll to reduce the County and City Millage Rate and put it back into the pockets of the taxpayers ...

Did you hit the bong @ lunch today?

Roger that.

Drive to Grenada for work 3 early mornings a week.

Those workers come barreling up the freeway in a pack as if they left the hotel buffet at the same time.

By my count 70-75% TX plates. Also Louisiana.

"@12:49 pm The cost to build the facility and the cost of infrastructure by utilities to provide service are separate issues. The cost of utility infrastructure should be everyone’s concern. These customers are getting reduced ad valorem tax reductions for coming here. That is widely known. Your theoretical view is not what is actually happening."

All of these projects are structured under a Fee-in-Lieu of Taxes agreement. This means that, by statute, the City and County can agree to abate up to two-thirds of the taxes for a ten-year period. Based on a $6 billion investment and the current millage rates, the County is projected to net approximately $10 million, the City around $9 million, and Rankin County Schools about $16 million. It's important to note that this amount will decrease each year due to depreciation, but it still represents a significant increase in revenue for our county. These amounts would be realized in the first year after the projects are added to the tax roll. If the County and the City decide not to provide this agreement, both the County and the City, along with the School District, would receive nothing, as the investment would simply relocate elsewhere.

In simple terms, nothing has been given; only a portion has been abated. You can't give away what you don't have!

Ask yourself.... has Nissan lowered your property taxes? Next.

Strong beef plant and Kemper clean coal energy with this.

Very strong!

Regarding the removal of the PSC regulation of these breasts' Entergy rates, do Mississippi legislators ever do anything that would benefit the common citizen?

Tater, thanks for checking in. Why didn't you mention the "tax exemptions" in your flowery press release? Never mind. Oh 12:49 PM, put down the crack pipe and get help.

I’ve been researching data centers. They attract other high tech development and business. Mississippi is getting a late start to the game but seems to recognize this and is making good moves. Other states offer more incentives so if MS didn’t offer anything we wouldn’t get anything.

Look up how many data centers other states have. Wow.

3-5 million gallons of water per day used for cooling sitting right next to a city that cannot provide water for it's citizens. Get ready for sky high electricity and water bills. I keep telling y'all Rankin County was bought and sold right under your noses but y'all probably the ones in on the scam.

There's also hurricanes and I would not locate a warehouse full of servers and wires much further south than I-20. Maybe Hattiesburg. Oh, and the coast has a different electric utility company. Entergy is racking up on the last several announcements in Mississippi and Louisiana.

"Abatement of taxes" is a payoff. Corruption at its finest - and spouted in proper legalese horseshit.

"As for the general public's concern about funding the necessary infrastructure, that's a misconception. The user will ultimately absorb this cost, much of which is upfront and included in the $6 billion investment."

Oh, well, shucks, if it's "included in the $6 billion investment," break the "investment" down for everyone to see. As for "misconceptions" vis-a-vis "the general public's concern," just correct them by laying out what gets spent where.

The use of the phrase "$6 billion INVESTMENT" should tell every- and anyone everything they need to know about what this (and these data centers) are: investments. Thanks, Captain Obvious some might say. But what isn't so obvious to many is where and how the $6 billion is being "invested" and who expects what return on what part of that "investment." The owner/developer expects a suitable return on its investment, and it is a for-profit enterprise. It has no duty, legally, morally, or ethically to protect Rankin County or Mississippi or the residents of either.from making a deal that's better for it than it is for them. If it can get bumpkins to agree to favorable terms that will add to its bottom line, that's on the bumpkins, not the developer/owner.

In very simple terms: Your odd old uncle dies and leaves you his art collection, which you hate and think is a bunch of worthless crap. Right after the funeral, some guy knocks on the door and offers $10 million in cash. He even has two suitcases full of $100s, a bill of sale all prepared, and guys with crates and a truck. In your greed and haste, you sell it to him. You can't get mad at him when an hour after the art is sold and gone, Sotheby's calls, says it's sorry for your loss and it would like to handle the sale of the art. It'll guarantee $100 million on a sale it thinks might bring $500 million. And he can't get mad at you if it turns out your uncle was a forger and it actually is just a bunch of worthless crap. Adults made assumptions and made a deal on them.

In both cases, the amount of due diligence each party thinks is enough is up to them and neither party has any duty to "help" the other party. In fact, each side has a duty to try and get the best possible deal for itself and its members, be they investors or taxpayers/citizens. In this case, it appears the home team "won" something that essentially no one else wanted under the terms offered. Fuck-ups are on the party which made them. Folks might want to think about who they should be mad at.

I'll have you know I listened to Gerard on radio today and he knows more about this than the developer, the funding banks, the MDA, the Entergy CEO, the chamber, the local economic peeples, the prison chaplain and the checkers at Home Depot all combined. Remember, he once was CEO of a bidness years ago and knew stuff about fiber and the principles of static consumption generation.

I am so glad that I got the hell out of the Metro-Area, and Mississippi. Are you people blind ??? Can you not see why the Good-Ole-Boy Redneck Legislators all got together recently when they were in session, and basically took every bit of power that they could away from your Public Service Commissioner ??? All that this position is good for now is to draw a State Salary, because this Office has no authority now. This was the only elected position in the State that would have protected all of you from whats about to happen. At least some of you that are posting has this figured out. So, I will end with this. Dear Mississippians, your utility bills for your Homes and Businesses are about to double and quadruple once these '' Data-Centers " are up and running, and might even increase 5X what you are paying now once they have been in operation for a couple of years.

Well, you would first have to define “normal”

"All of these projects are structured under a Fee-in-Lieu of Taxes agreement. This means that, by statute, the City and County can agree to abate up to two-thirds of the taxes for a ten-year period. Based on a $6 billion investment..."

Again, break down the "$6 billion investment." Then, explain how the depreciation schedules affects what parts, as well as the life-expectancy of the "tech" installed. Here's a hint: 10 years from install, the "tech" will have been long fully-depreciated, and factually-worthless anyway from a practical standpoint. Even if you cannot do either of the latter two things, since you are so familiar with the particulars of the "$6 billion investment," just give a breakdown of that, even a general category/rounded-dollars one.

Then why have other locations that were once building out as fast as they could now outright refusing more and yet other locations just not seeking out more?

Here's a little secret about these things. These have special infrastructure needs and the former "hot spots" have learned that these things are not the wonderful things that officials told them they were. The suburbs have learned, the exurbs have learned, and now, about the only places left that still welcome these things are the Rankin Countyesque locations. And even many of those saw past the "deal" and are balking. But more importantly, the voters have seen the effects of them and aren't happy. It's kinda like Buc-ee's, Walmart, casinos, liquor stores, and even strip joints - lots of folks who vote like the idea of them...just not in THEIR neighborhood. But since these things do have those special infrastructure requirements, particularly power and water, only so many can be put in even willing areas. So its a race for the stupid. And you just know that in any such race, the Jackson metro region is gonna be a major contender.

Do y'all remember when the City of Pearl and it's feckless, I mean fearless leaders got fleeced by the minor league stadium and outlet mall pitch. Promised them next to no tax revenue for 10 years and now it's run down and the city admitted that was a mistake. This will be the SAME EXACT THING.

I guess with the legal reefer the building can be used for a grow house in 10-15 when they move out.

Datacenters are like assholes. Everyone has them and they all STINK.

I remember when the Siemens deal was going to more than pay for itself, just like the breaks given to these data centers will.

This was an easy choice. A 10 minute internet search yields which state is the most poorly educated and thus will be a bunch of hayseed country bumpkins who will fall for this grift.

11:49 We're glad y'all think that way. It keeps y'all out.

By the way, when you're sitting around gloating about how much better you are than, well, everyone, do a little searching online and see how Rankin County land prices fare compared to, say Madison County prices. Surprising they're higher, huh? Might also check to see how the average home price in Madison (the City) compares to Flowood. Wouldn't have thought that, would you? Kinda shocking that Flowood is said to be the most solvent city in the State, too. That doesn't suck.

Yep, we Rankin Countians have just barely started wearing shoes and have running water. As long as we can keep the likes of folks like you believing that.....job well done!

Just one look at their Leadership on their "About Us" page betrays they are a perfect fit for Niknar and Brandon, MS. They are solidly white and male. Not a single token.

While you Rank-tards and Mad-rons are busy arguing over which crackers have the best hoods, you're both getting played by people who think everyone in the state is an ignorant redneck like, um...y'all. It sure doesn't help that officials from both counties and the state are doing everything they can to prove them correct. If either county were full of intelligent, cultured, and sophisticated people, and the land prices were truly high, no one would be wasting time and money trying to stick data centers there.

The reason there is a paucity of economic development in south Mississippi is because the casinos suck the employment market dry.

I complained to the manager of my local supermarket about his incompetent employees who couldn't run a cash register. He said he can't keep good employees on the payroll because the casinos snap them up as soon as he gets them trained. That's what I'm talking about.

I'm only wondering if Rankin First netted a $ out of this or Ole Tom worked many, many Years to give it away--?

I Love to Read the Buildup Articles, like the one here KF posted for us. It makes me remember the buildups to the Grenada Processing Plant, and the Power Plants in Akerman & Dekalb. Maybe it's Just a Form Letter you can Download & Printout...

And east of I-55.

Great. Now I can expect my lights to be shut of for two hours three days a week ,IN RURAL RAYMOND, for the rest of my life. Yey !!!!

7:03 ................not at Ameristar. That place has the lazy ...the rude....the on dey breaks. The only way to get a drink in there is to be an employee of another casino.

11:10 did they pay you to say that?

Oh the irony, a historic memorial statue of a Confederate soldier in downtown Brandon facing west to keep an eye on the 6 billion dollar project out of Connecticut.

Dean Kirby doesn't live south of I-20....

Anyone that thinks this is good news is stupid. It'll poison the water, use the water, no water pressure. Look at what happened in memphis

https://www.grenadastar.com/domtar-indefinitely-idle-grenada-mill-september

Pig in a poke. Give away the ranch and the ridin' cultivator in exchange for a 40 acre concrete parking lot.

Remember, all the casinos that flooded into Mississippi did so to better the industrial and financial climate all across the state. No other motive.