Trump Administration Expedites Permit for Ohio Gas Project Powering OpenAI Data Center
The Trump administration is expediting the environmental review for what would be the largest gas power project in the U.S. in Pike County, Ohio. This 9.2-gigawatt facility is intended to power a new 10-gigawatt data center for OpenAI, financed by SoftBank and Nvidia. The rapid permitting timeline, set for completion in seven months, is raising concerns among environmentalists.
The Trump administration is reportedly fast-tracking the environmental review for what would be the United States' largest fossil fuel power project, a 9.2-gigawatt gas facility located on federal lands in Pike County, Ohio. This facility, owned by the Energy Department, is slated to power a new 10-gigawatt data center for OpenAI, known as the PORTS-Pike project.
OpenAI confirmed its intention to lease the data center, with financing from a SoftBank subsidiary (SB Energy) and chip company Nvidia. The data center campus will be built in phases, with the first 800 megawatts commencing construction this year and becoming operational by 2028, initially relying on AEP Ohio's existing infrastructure.
The environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) began on July 10 and is estimated to conclude by December 23, a remarkably swift seven-month timeline achieved through an Environmental Assessment, a less comprehensive analysis than a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Federal agencies involved include the Army Corps of Engineers and the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is consulting on endangered bats. The Ohio EPA, which holds primary authority for Clean Air Act permitting, has not yet listed a permitting application for the project. The expedited review has drawn criticism from environmentalists concerned about the project's climate impacts and federal revisions to NEPA regulations.