OpenAI chooses Georgia for its largest-ever data center. $20B project touts efficiency
OpenAI plans to build a 3.2 gigawatt, 1,400-acre data center in Effingham County, Georgia, representing a $20 billion investment and the company's largest data center to date. The project, dubbed "Project Camellia," has garnered support from county officials for its economic benefits and jobs, but environmental groups are skeptical about its significant energy and water demands, particularly concerning its potential impact on the Savannah River and the regional power grid. The site is already zoned industrial, but the county currently lacks specific ordinances for data centers.
OpenAI has announced plans for its largest data center campus to date, a 3.2 gigawatt, 1,400-acre facility in Effingham County, Georgia, near Savannah. The $20 billion "Project Camellia" at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub is expected to be operational by 2028 and will create 400 permanent jobs, provide $80 million in community benefits, and offer $71 million in coding classes for Georgia students.
Local officials, including Effingham County Commissioners and the Industrial Development Authority, voiced strong support, citing the project's economic impact, property tax reductions (aiming for a 40% average homeowner reduction), and commitment to environmental responsibility, including minimal water usage through a closed-loop system. Georgia Power will provide electricity to the facility, with OpenAI committing to use 1,000 megawatts of demand response.
However, environmental concerns have been raised by Tonya Bonitatibus, Executive Director of Savannah Riverkeeper, who questions the feasibility of minimal water usage given Georgia Power's status as a major water consumer and the state's increasing number of data centers. She also expressed concern over potential wetland loss, the impact of 1,400 acres of concrete, and the project's location in a hurricane zone on an evacuation route. The project's massive power consumption, equivalent to three other large proposed data centers combined, also raised questions about grid strain and reliance on natural gas. While the site is already zoned industrial, Effingham County currently lacks specific ordinances for data centers, unlike neighboring Bulloch County, which recently enacted a moratorium.