SB Energy, the SoftBank Group unit, announced a strategic alliance with OpenAI as part of the Stargate program, which pushes for the construction of next‑generation energy infrastructure and data centers in the United States. The joint investment and the lease for a large 1.2 GW site are a concrete step to scale the computing power needed for large AI models.
What they agreed
OpenAI and SoftBank Group are each investing $500 million into SB Energy, for a total of $1,000 million aimed at accelerating the development of data center campuses and associated energy infrastructure.
OpenAI also signed a lease for 1.2 GW for the initial site in Milam County, Texas, which will be the first to be built and is planned to come online starting in 2026.
SB Energy also secured $800 million in additional redeemable preferred equity from Ares to support its growth.
Why it matters (yes, this changes things)
Why is this more than a financial headline? Because it combines three key pieces: OpenAI’s data center design optimized for AI, SB Energy’s execution and development capacity, and SoftBank’s financial backing. The result: the ability to scale AI compute faster and with attention to cost and efficiency.
And it’s not just about building machines. SB Energy will also be a major customer of OpenAI, using APIs from OpenAI and deploying ChatGPT for its teams. So you’re not only building infrastructure—you’re using AI to run it better.
Key facts of the deal
- Total investment in SB Energy: $1,000 million (OpenAI $500M + SoftBank $500M).
- OpenAI lease: 1.2 GW for the Milam County site.
- Additional financing: $800 million in Redeemable Preferred Equity from Ares.
- Project framed within Stargate, the commitment announced at the White House to boost AI and energy infrastructure.
OpenAI and SB Energy will develop a non‑exclusive model to build data centers that combines OpenAI’s design with SB Energy’s execution and energy delivery.
Local and environmental impact
The Milam County site will create thousands of construction jobs and promises investments in workforce training and grid modernization in the surrounding communities. The design also emphasizes minimizing water use and building new generation capacity to meet the data center’s energy needs, aiming to protect Texas ratepayers.
This isn’t just another data center. It’s being built with the community and the growing demand for clean, reliable energy for modern AI models in mind.
What's next
In the short term, we’ll watch the campus construction in Milam County progress and expect the first facilities to enter service from 2026. It’ll also be interesting to see how the commercial relationship evolves: SB Energy as both an infrastructure provider and an intensive user of OpenAI APIs and ChatGPT for operations.
For the AI and energy industries, this deal could become a replicable model: integrating software design with large‑scale physical execution. Will we see more mixed partnerships like this in 2026? Probably yes.
This is a concrete example of AI infrastructure moving from theory to visible projects, with economic impact and environmental challenges already on the table.