July 21st 2023.
Amazon, the retail and technology giant, has recently announced a major renewable energy project in Tunica County, Mississippi. According to Action News 5, the Delta Wind Farm project is expected to create hundreds of jobs, spark economic development, and provide clean, affordable electricity to homes and businesses. Furthermore, the six projects that Amazon is undertaking in Mississippi, including five solar farms, are set to generate a total of 1,850 gigawatt-hours of clean energy. This is enough electricity to power 174,600 U.S. homes annually.
The Delta Wind Farm project will be owned by Virginia-based energy company AES and will be sold to Amazon. This is a huge boon for Tunica County, as its once-booming casino industry has taken a hit in recent years. James Dunn, a member of the Tunica County Board of Supervisors, expressed his excitement for the project, saying “Accepting this project here could move us to another level.”
However, not everyone is in support of the project. Many opponents are concerned that while AES will require 300 workers to complete the wind farm, only seven to ten people will be hired to maintain and operate it. Others worry that Mississippi’s investments in renewable energy have led to localities offering large tax breaks to energy companies. Joe Eddie Hawkins, the county’s former road manager, believes that “We gave away too much.”
Tunica County is no stranger to tax breaks. In the early 1990s, the county was among the poorest in the U.S., but its gambling industry brought in millions in revenue and dramatically improved local housing and education. However, in recent years, three of the casinos have closed due to increased competition from other states. The county still faces many issues today – most of its residents live below the poverty line, and it doesn’t have a hospital.
The Amazon renewable energy project promises to bring much-needed growth to Tunica County, but it’s clear that the local residents have a complex relationship with the effects of tax breaks.
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