Federal Officials Unveil Massive AI Data Center at Former Ohio Nuclear Site

Federal officials, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, announced plans on Friday for a massive artificial intelligence data center at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Pike County, Ohio. The facility, to be known as the "PORTS Technology Campus," will feature 10 gigawatts of data processing capability and new power generation facilities, including 9.2 gigawatts from natural gas plants. The project is backed by $33.3 billion in Japanese financing, part of the U.S.-Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement. SoftBank Group, through its subsidiary SB Energy, will collaborate with AEP Ohio to construct the power generation and transmission systems, investing $4.2 billion in grid improvements without increasing customer electricity bills. Secretary Wright emphasized the project's role in adding power generation, creating jobs, and ensuring U.S. leadership in AI, while Secretary Lutnick framed it as a move to reindustrialize the country. Construction is slated to begin this year, promising thousands of jobs and support for research in fusion energy, quantum computing, and national security. The announcement comes just days after rural Ohio residents submitted a petition for a constitutional prohibition on mega data centers, reflecting increasing concerns over the environmental, economic, and social impacts of such infrastructure. Ohio currently ranks fifth nationally for data center facilities, with approximately 200 locations, including those operated by major tech companies like Google, Amazon Web Services, and Meta.