OpenAI works to build support for $20 billion Project Camellia amid some community opposition
OpenAI is seeking community support in Effingham County for its proposed $20 billion Project Camellia AI data center campus near Rincon. Residents have raised concerns about electricity demand, water use, traffic, noise and environmental impacts, while OpenAI announced a $2 million grant for the first phase of the proposed Atlas Park recreational project.
OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar met with business and community leaders in Springfield to address support and opposition surrounding Project Camellia, a proposed AI data center campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub near Rincon. The project could represent a $20 billion investment, create construction and permanent jobs, and generate tax revenue, but residents have questioned its effects on electricity demand, water use, traffic, noise, infrastructure and natural resources. Public protests and legal challenges have accompanied the proposal.
OpenAI said it is committing $80 million to a community fund and announced that $2 million will support the first phase of Atlas Park, a recreational development on a former sand mine site. County leaders said the park would include trails, a lake and other amenities focused on recreation and environmental resilience. Construction on Project Camellia is expected to begin in phases in 2028 and continue through 2032, subject to continued community engagement and project development.