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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Compass Datacenters Plans Meridian, Mississippi, Operations

01/12/2025
Compass Datacenters, a multinational data center developer, plans to establish operations in Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

The $10 billion project will include a 500MW campus consisting of eight data centers.

“We are looking forward to building our next campus in Meridian. 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,” AJ Byers, President and Chief Development Officer, Compass Datacenters said.

To support the project the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is providing assistance for site preparation. MDA also will certify Compass Datacenters as a data center operator, which will provide the company with 10-year state income and franchise tax exemptions, as well as a sales and use tax exemption on construction materials, equipment and software and hardware replacements.

“Compass Datacenters’ multi-billion investment in Meridian marks yet another monumental economic development win for Mississippi, and it is the result of many factors that position our state as a hub for these high-tech projects. Speed to market, the availability of a shovel-ready site in Meridian I-20/59 Industrial Park and the capabilities of Mississippi Power were key to Compass Datacenters choosing Lauderdale County. The economic development team in Mississippi is second to none, and we are excited to continue bringing great job opportunities to the citizens of our great state,” Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork noted.

The city of Meridian, Lauderdale County and Mississippi Power Company also are supporting the project.

“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. 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,” added Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson.

Compass Datacenters builds single-tenant, hyperscale data center campuses. The company currently has 16 data center sites in development or operation across the U.S., Europe, and Israel. Compass was acquired by Brookfield and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan in June 2023 for $5.5 billion from RedBird Capital Partners and the Azrieli Group.

“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. Thank you Compass Datacenters for selecting Meridian, Lauderdale County for your Mississippi campus,” East Mississippi Business Development Corporation President Bill Hannah said.

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