OpenAI Plans 8-Gigawatt Ohio Data Center, Creating 35,000 Construction Jobs
Updated
Updated · The Cincinnati Enquirer · Aug 24
OpenAI Plans 8-Gigawatt Ohio Data Center, Creating 35,000 Construction Jobs
3 articles · Updated · The Cincinnati Enquirer · Aug 24
Summary
Pike County, Ohio, is set to host OpenAI’s planned 8-gigawatt hyperscale campus, a project the company says would become the world’s largest AI data center.
By 2028, the first phase is expected to reach 800 megawatts at a cost of $30 billion to $40 billion, with SB Energy building and operating the site and OpenAI leasing capacity.
Nvidia is investing $1.5 billion in SB Energy, and the campus will exclusively run Nvidia AI infrastructure; full buildout is slated to continue through 2032.
The former Portsmouth uranium-enrichment site was chosen for its size and existing infrastructure, though expansion still depends on permits, environmental reviews, grid upgrades and new power supply.
Ohio already has more than 230 data centers, but the rapid buildout has drawn local opposition over resource use even as OpenAI and SB Energy each pledged $40 million in community support.
Will Nvidia’s massive infrastructure investment in a former uranium plant ultimately give OpenAI an unbeatable monopoly in global AI computing?
How will a former Cold War nuclear site power AI's future without shifting massive grid upgrade costs onto local Ohio ratepayers?
With 10 gigawatts required, can developers secure enough electricity for this unprecedented mega-center before overwhelming the regional power grid?
Powering the Future: The $500 Billion, 8-GW Pike County AI Data Center and Its Impact on U.S. Infrastructure, Energy, and Community
Overview
Driven by the explosive growth of frontier AI models, the Pike County megaproject in Ohio is tackling a severe shortage of compute space and power by building the world’s largest AI data center. Nvidia anchors the project with $1.5 billion in investment and $105 billion in credit guarantees, ensuring its exclusive hardware powers the facility. Because the existing grid cannot handle the 8-GW load, SB Energy is constructing a massive on-site natural gas plant and funding major grid upgrades. This public-private effort is seen as vital for U.S. technological sovereignty amid global AI competition, while also creating tens of thousands of jobs and pioneering new ways to finance and operate AI infrastructure.