OpenAI to build world's biggest AI data center in Ohio. What we know
OpenAI plans to build the world's largest AI data center, an 8-gigawatt facility, in Pike County, Ohio. The project, developed and operated by SB Energy on a former nuclear plant site, is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent roles. Nvidia is investing $1.5 billion into SB Energy and its infrastructure will exclusively host Nvidia's AI computing.
OpenAI has announced plans to develop the world's largest artificial intelligence data center at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio, approximately 100 miles east of Cincinnati. This hyperscale facility is projected to achieve an 8-gigawatt electrical power capacity, establishing it as the largest AI data center globally, according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
SB Energy, which owns the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus, will build and operate the data center, with OpenAI leasing the space. Nvidia is investing $1.5 billion into SB Energy to support the development and will exclusively host its AI computing infrastructure at the site. The project is expected to generate 35,000 construction jobs through 2032 and 2,500 permanent positions upon completion.
The chosen site is the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a nuclear facility previously used for uranium enrichment, which is currently undergoing radioactive decontamination. Despite its contaminated history, its size and existing infrastructure were deemed ideal for data center redevelopment. The initial phase of construction, targeting an 800-megawatt capacity by 2028, is estimated to cost between $30 billion and $40 billion.
OpenAI and SB Energy are engaging with the local community by committing $80 million in total to a resident-steered community grant fund. Additionally, OpenAI will provide all Ohio college students with access to ChatGPT. The entire development, which will depend on permits, environmental reviews, and financing, is slated for completion by 2032 and will require significant power grid upgrades, new transmission lines, and power generation sources.