SoftBank plans massive gas-powered AI data center in Ohio

SoftBank Group, through its subsidiary SB Energy, is partnering with electric utility AEP to construct one of the world's largest gas-fired power plants and an accompanying 10-gigawatt artificial intelligence server warehouse in Pike County, Ohio. This $33.3 billion public-private initiative is a key component of a larger $550 billion trade deal between Washington and Tokyo, formalized in October, aimed at reducing China's dominance in electronic components and reindustrializing the US. The project includes a 9.2-gigawatt gas plant connecting to the local grid at the federally owned Portsmouth site and a $4.2 billion investment by SB Energy and AEP Ohio to upgrade southern Ohio's transmission lines. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted the government's role in leveraging federal assets for power generation and job creation, supporting US leadership in AI. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick praised the trade deal as a historic step towards reindustrializing the country. While the White House and tech sector are working to allay fears about increased electricity rates for households due to AI data center demand, energy lawyer Ari Peskoe noted that this Ohio project could offer a new model where data centers directly cover transmission costs, potentially mitigating the burden on taxpayers and small businesses. SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son affirmed the deal's objective to secure energy and computing capacity while bolstering US AI leadership.