Draft Document

Community Benefit Agreement

This draft Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) outlines proposed commitments from AWS to address community concerns and ensure the data center project benefits Wilmington residents across infrastructure, environment, quality of life, workforce development, and governance.

Infrastructure & Fiscal Stabilization
To address the "funding trap" facing Clinton County and modernize aging municipal systems
$25 million

Direct Capital Grant

  • •$15 Million: Installation of new sewer trunk lines to resolve capacity issues in Southern Wilmington
  • •$5 Million: Construction of a 1-million-gallon water tower to improve residential water pressure and fire suppression
  • •$5 Million: Intersection and safety upgrades to SR 68 and SR 730
$1 million annually

School Funding (PILOT)

  • •Payments classified as "non-tax revenue" to ensure they do not trigger a reduction in state financial aid for Wilmington City Schools
Environmental Protection & Thermal Limits
To prevent thermal pollution and protect the biological processes of the Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

Thermal Discharge Cap

  • •All effluent water must be cooled to within 5°F of ambient sewer temperature before leaving the AWS property line

Water Resource Monetization

  • •AWS will purchase 1–2 MGD of the city's 4.5 MGD surplus water from Caesar Creek Lake, providing a new revenue stream for the city utility

Chemical Transparency

  • •Developer shall maintain a public-facing dashboard showing real-time monitoring of biocides and anti-scaling agents in discharge water

Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Study

  • •Developer agrees to evaluate the feasibility of ZLD technology to recycle cooling water and eliminate discharge entirely

Waste Heat Recovery & Rural Innovation Study

  • •Developer shall conduct a feasibility study within 18 months to assess opportunities for capturing and repurposing waste heat from cooling operations
  • •Study will explore district heating systems, greenhouse agriculture, aquaculture facilities, lumber drying operations, and other thermal energy applications suitable for rural communities
  • •Developer commits to partnering with Wilmington College to develop curriculum and research programs focused on sustainable data center operations and waste heat recovery systems—positioning the institution as a leader in emerging rural tech infrastructure
  • •If technically and economically viable, developer will implement at least one pilot waste heat reuse project within 5 years, creating demonstration models for rural business development around data center infrastructure
Noise Mitigation & Residential Buffers
To protect the quality of life for the Timber Glen subdivision and neurodivergent residents sensitive to "the hum"

C-Weighted Standards

  • •Noise ordinances shall be amended to include C-weighted (dBC) limits to regulate low-frequency vibrating sounds

Continuous Monitoring

  • •Permanent, 24/7 noise sensors will be installed at the Timber Glen boundary with data accessible to the public

Visual Barriers

  • •Developer shall install earthen berms and high-density sound walls along the SR 730 frontage
Workforce & Education Pipeline
To ensure the $80,000 average payroll benefits local families and create new rural business opportunities

Laurel Oaks Partnership

  • •AWS will fund and equip a "Data Center Operations" pathway at Laurel Oaks Career Campus, including hardware donations and fiber-optic certification programs

Wilmington College Rural Tech Innovation Center

  • •Establishment of a "Smart Agriculture" pilot program to use data center AI for monitoring local crop yields
  • •Development of specialized curriculum in sustainable data center operations and waste heat recovery systems—an emerging field with national relevance as rural communities host more tech infrastructure
  • •Research partnerships to study waste heat applications in controlled environment agriculture, aquaculture, and district heating systems suitable for small towns
  • •Position Wilmington College as a center of excellence for rural communities learning to leverage data center infrastructure for economic development

Hiring Preferences

  • •A target of 30% of construction labor and 20% of permanent staff will be sourced from Clinton County residents or local vocational graduates
Governance & Neighborhood Equity
To bridge the transparency gap created by previous Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

Citizens Advisory Committee

  • •A 5-member board (including 2 representatives from opposition groups) will review compliance reports quarterly
$50,000 annually

Neighborhood Improvement Fund

  • •Developer shall provide an annual grant specifically for the Timber Glen neighborhood to fund screening, parks, or home improvements

About This Document

This is a draft framework document compiled from various proposals and community input. It does not represent a final or legally binding agreement. The purpose is to facilitate informed dialogue about what commitments the community should seek from the data center developer.