OpenAI and Nvidia join forces for new enormous Ohio data center
OpenAI and Nvidia are partnering to develop a massive 8-gigawatt data center in Pike County, Ohio, which is planned to be one of the largest AI-powered data centers globally. The PORTS-Pike Technology Data Center, backed by a $105 billion financial guarantee from Nvidia, will create thousands of jobs and use closed-loop, air-cooled systems for water conservation. SB Energy will cover the costs of electric grid upgrades.
Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI and semiconductor manufacturer Nvidia are partnering to develop a massive 8-gigawatt data center in Pike County, Ohio, known as the PORTS-Pike Technology Data Center. This collaboration, featuring a $105 billion financial guarantee from Nvidia and a 20-year lease agreement between OpenAI, SB Energy, and SoftBank Group, aims to create one of the largest AI-powered data centers in the United States, with potential expansion to 10 gigawatts.
The project is slated to generate 35,000 construction jobs through 2032 and 2,500 long-term operating positions, beginning with 800 megawatts by 2028. Energy Secretary Chris Wright previously described the facility as "bigger than any facility ever built in world history." Concerns about energy prices and water consumption, commonly raised by data center opponents, are addressed by SB Energy's commitment to fund all grid upgrades and new transmission lines, preventing costs from being passed to state government or ratepayers.
Furthermore, the PORTS-Pike project will implement closed-loop, air-cooled systems for water recirculation, an alternative to traditional cooling towers, at its site, the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The data center's developers are also collaborating with the Department of Energy to utilize the existing water system at the federal site. OpenAI stated its appreciation for the Trump Administration's support in redeveloping the federal site for American AI infrastructure. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the project's importance for scaling AI infrastructure and powering the next industrial revolution.