SB Energy plans massive data center complex on private land in Pike County, Ohio
SB Energy, a subsidiary of SoftBank, is planning a massive 10-gigawatt data center complex in Pike County, Ohio, on both federal and private land. The company filed a permit with the Ohio EPA to build on approximately 1,016 acres of private land, raising concerns among local residents about environmental impact and resource demands. This project is part of a larger trend of data center development in the region, driven by AI demand, and has sparked community opposition over environmental and resource issues.
SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japanese tech investor SoftBank, has filed a permit application with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) to develop a substantial data center complex on private land in Pike County, Ohio. This new plan comes two months after the company initially announced a similar-sized project on the federal-owned former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site, known as the A-plant, with a groundbreaking event attended by Trump administration officials.
The permit application outlines plans for a 10-gigawatt data center complex on approximately 1,016 acres of private land, which would include data center buildings, gas generation power plants, and associated infrastructure. A spokesperson for SB Energy clarified that the company intends to build data centers on both the A-plant site and the private land for a combined total of 10 gigawatts, though the final layout and distribution are still under development during the permitting process. The proposed private land parcels are primarily farmland owned by Woodburn Heights LLC, Green Eyes LLC, and Roe Farms LLC, with SB Energy reportedly holding options to purchase the property.
The project requires an Ohio EPA permit due to potential impacts on wetlands, streams, and wildlife. The application includes maps detailing two possible configurations, varying in building size and environmental impact, neither of which is SB Energy's preferred final option. The article notes that SB Energy's project is one of at least nine data centers proposed for southeast Ohio, driven by the demand for computing power for artificial intelligence, with Reuters reporting that OpenAI is in talks to lease the complex.
However, the rapid growth of data centers is facing increasing community opposition, with residents in southeast Ohio and elsewhere voicing concerns over energy and water demands, potential air pollution from backup generators, and the visual impact on rural communities. The A-plant site offers advantages such as a history of industrial use and federal ownership, which exempts SB Energy from property taxes, a common incentive that is also drawing criticism for the perceived limited job growth in relation to lost tax revenue. SB Energy did not respond to inquiries about seeking tax abatements for the private land development.