Behind Effingham County's $20B data center
OpenAI is establishing its first physical presence in Georgia with a $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County. The project highlights state government collaboration with OpenAI and significant tax exemptions for data centers in Georgia, with the new campus expected to be a major property taxpayer in the county.
Effingham County, Georgia, is set to host OpenAI's first physical presence in the state with a $20 billion data center campus. The announcement highlights significant state involvement, including Governor Brian Kemp's meeting with OpenAI representatives in May.
The state of Georgia has also deepened its collaboration with OpenAI through its Office of Artificial Intelligence, which opened 200 official accounts and issued 2600 prompts by mid-January as part of its new ChatGPT Enterprise program. Furthermore, data centers in Georgia are projected to receive substantial tax exemptions; the state's latest tax expenditure report estimates these will reach $2.985 billion for fiscal year 2027, significantly more than the $125 million in sales tax exemptions estimated for universities across the state for comparison.
Local leaders, including Brandt Herndon, CEO of the Effingham IDA, state that the OpenAI campus, referred to as "Project Camellia," will become one of the largest property taxpayers in the county. Herndon also noted OpenAI's commitment to invest $80 million into the community, aiming to ensure the company acts as a responsible community partner.