OpenAI announced an agreement to secure approximately 8 gigawatts of computing capacity at the PORTS-Pike technology campus in Pike County, Ohio. The project, developed alongside SB Energy, NVIDIA, and the United States Department of Energy, aims to transform a former industrial complex into massive infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
Does that figure seem difficult to imagine? In simple terms, it refers to the power and equipment needed to operate a massive scale of specialized chips capable of training advanced models and meeting the growing demand for tools such as ChatGPT and Codex.
A project bringing thousands of jobs
Construction is expected to continue for six years, through 2032. According to OpenAI, the development could create 35,000 temporary construction jobs and approximately 2,500 permanent positions to operate the data center.
The company and SB Energy also say they will prioritize local workers, contractors, suppliers, and businesses. To achieve this, they plan to collaborate with unions, schools, universities, technical training programs, veterans' organizations, and career learning centers.
The goal is not only to build a data center. The broader plan is to create a foundation of skills and businesses that allows more people in Ohio to access jobs related to technology, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, education, and skilled trades.
Community investment and student access
OpenAI announced an additional investment of $40 million in a grant fund for Pike County. This amount comes on top of another $40 million previously committed by SB Energy.
The community will decide how to direct these resources. The priorities mentioned include schools, public safety, healthcare, roads, housing, veterans' services, small businesses, and job training.
Students will also receive a specific benefit. OpenAI will offer up to $84 million in Codex credits for approximately 844,000 students over the age of 18 at Ohio universities, community colleges, and technical schools during the 2026–2027 academic year.
Each eligible student could receive $100 in credits to use Codex within ChatGPT. The tool helps create software and complete technical projects—an experience that can help develop practical skills in engineering, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and other fields.
What will happen with water and electricity?
One of the most sensitive issues for any data center is its impact on local resources. OpenAI says PORTS-Pike will use closed-loop air-cooling systems, which can recirculate water instead of continuously consuming it through cooling towers.
Once the system is filled, its ongoing water use would be comparable to that of an office building with a similar number of people, including restrooms, sinks, maintenance, cleaning, and landscaping. The company says it will publish consumption estimates once the site's design is complete.
As for electricity, SB Energy has committed to paying for the grid upgrades and new transmission lines needed for the project. The intention is to ensure those expenses are not passed on to Ohio residents through their electricity bills.
However, the full development will require new energy infrastructure. The plan includes grid-connected plants, including natural gas generation, as well as transmission lines and other related systems. For that reason, the project will still depend on permits, environmental reviews, financing, and infrastructure construction.
A former industrial plant becomes AI infrastructure
The campus will be built on private land and rehabilitated areas of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a facility that played an important role in the United States' industry and national security.
The first 800 megawatts could be available in 2028, making extensive use of AEP's existing infrastructure. Additional capacity will be added gradually, not all at once.
SB Energy will be responsible for building, owning, and operating the data center through a 20-year lease agreement with OpenAI. The site will host NVIDIA computing infrastructure exclusively, and OpenAI will use that capacity to train advanced models and support its products.
NVIDIA, for its part, announced a $1.5 billion investment in SB Energy and will provide credit support for the land, energy, and initial construction of 4.25 gigawatts of computing capacity.
More capacity for AI models
OpenAI explains that it will begin paying only when completed capacity is available to be leased. The company expects to fund these commitments with revenue from its business, cash flow, and capital raised from investors.
In addition, OpenAI and NVIDIA will work together on the center's design, testing, and launch. Both companies plan to publish a technical paper detailing the lessons learned at PORTS-Pike.
That document will cover topics such as infrastructure resilience, component evaluation, and workload management from the software side. In practice, the goal is to help large chip clusters experience fewer interruptions and operate reliably for longer periods.
Artificial intelligence does not live only in an app. It also needs chips, electricity, fast networks, cooling systems, and data centers capable of operating at a massive scale.
The announcement highlights this physical dimension of AI. Every ChatGPT response and every project created with Codex depends on an infrastructure chain we rarely see, but that is transforming entire regions.
The challenge will be proving the benefits
OpenAI has committed to publishing annual reports on local hiring, community investment, water consumption, and energy use related to the project. It will also continue meeting with residents, authorities, schools, businesses, unions, and community organizations to define a public agreement on Ohio's priorities.
The promise is ambitious: jobs, training, investment, and new opportunities for an area with a long industrial history. But the real impact will depend on whether those goals are achieved, whether the costs stay off the community, and whether energy development respects environmental regulations.
For Pike County, the project represents an opportunity to take part in the AI economy. For OpenAI, it is a key piece of its computing expansion. The important question will be whether both goals can move forward together and turn a massive technology investment into lasting benefits for the people who live there.