OpenAI has entered into an agreement to secure approximately 8 gigawatts-IT of capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio, working with SB Energy, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The project is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs during its six-year buildout through 2032 and 2,500 long-term operating jobs. OpenAI will invest $40 million in a community grant fund supporting priorities identified by local residents, building on SB Energy’s previously announced $40 million commitment. Separately, OpenAI is providing up to $84 million in Codex credits through ChatGPT for approximately 844,000 eligible Ohio college, community college, and technical school students aged 18 and older during the 2026–2027 academic year ($100 in credits per eligible student).
SB Energy will build, own, and operate the data center under a 20-year lease to OpenAI and deliver capacity over time. The site will exclusively host NVIDIA AI compute infrastructure. NVIDIA will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy and provide credit support for the land, power, and shell buildout associated with the initial 4.25 IT-GW.
Key project commitments include:
- SB Energy will pay the full cost of grid upgrades and new transmission lines needed to serve the data center so those costs are not shifted to Ohio or other ratepayers.
- The data center will use closed-loop, air-cooled cooling systems that recirculate water. Ongoing water use after initial fill is expected to be comparable to an office building supporting a similar number of people.
- Local hiring of workers, contractors, suppliers, trades, and service providers will be prioritized. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with North America’s Building Trades Unions.
- The project is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue over its lifetime, with local property taxes primarily supporting public schools.
- Combined OpenAI and SB Energy community investments plus Codex credits exceed $160 million in direct benefits for Pike County and Ohio residents.
- Annual public reporting will cover local hiring, community investment, water use, and project-related energy use.
The first 800 megawatts are expected to become available in 2028, largely using existing AEP infrastructure. Further phases will require new power plants (including natural gas generation) and transmission. Development spans private land and remediated DOE land at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
OpenAI will begin paying only as completed capacity becomes available and will fund commitments through revenue, cash flow, and capital raised from investors.