OpenAI is reportedly in talks to lease a planned 10-gigawatt data center campus in Ohio. The deal could also include financial backing from Nvidia, according to The Information.
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OpenAI is reportedly exploring a 10-gigawatt data centre campus in Ohio, which could become one of the largest facilities of its kind.
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The project may involve Nvidia and SoftBank’s SB Energy, with total costs estimated at up to $500 billion.
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Ohio is becoming a major hub for AI infrastructure, supported by a wider US government plan to redevelop former industrial sites into energy-heavy tech campuses.
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The project has faced local opposition, with some residents pushing to restrict large-scale data centre development over environmental and energy concerns.
Ohio is increasingly emerging as one of the key locations in the US for large-scale AI and data center infrastructure. Major energy and tech projects are turning the state into a focal point for data center expansion, with the latest massive deal involving OpenAI AI and Nvidia.
The maker of ChatGPT is considering leasing a planned 10-gigawatt data center campus on federal land in Ohio.
In comparison, large-scale data centers, operated by companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, often require between 20 and 100+ megawatts of power. That makes the Ohio data center from 100 to 500 times larger than a typical large hyperscale data center.
Based on current prices for chips, labor, power, and other inputs, the campus could cost at least $500 billion to build, The Information reports, citing people familiar with the initiative.
The deal could also include financial backing from Nvidia. The company is expected to supply key hardware and could also help support financing, including guarantees linked to OpenAI’s lease and SB Energy's borrowing.
SB Energy is a company owned by Japan’s SoftBank Group.
OpenAI would control the facility's equipment under a 20-year lease. The payments would begin once the facility is up and running.
Why Ohio?
OpenAI’s investment in Ohio is a part of a bigger US government project. In March, the Department of Energy announced that it’s working with private companies to turn a decommissioned uranium enrichment plant in southern Ohio into a large tech and energy site known as the “PORTS Technology Campus.”
At the time, the Associated Press reported the campus is expected to host a 10-gigawatt data center and up to 10 gigawatts of new power generation, mostly from natural gas.
The project will also upgrade the electricity transmission systems, as the current systems are too old to support energy-intensive AI systems.
At the time, officials said the project is meant to boost US competitiveness in AI and increase domestic production.
However, as in many other states where data center construction is underway, the local community isn’t pleased with the initiative. A group of rural Ohio residents has filed a petition to put a constitutional ban on mega data centers on the statewide ballot.
Despite the backlash, the “PORTS Technology Campus” would expand Ohio’s growing role in the AI and data center boom. The state already hosts about 200 data centers, including facilities operated by Google, Amazon Web Services, and Meta.
The first stage of OpenAI’s data center is expected to begin in 2028, according to the report.
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