OpenAI: 800 MW by 2028 and 20-Year Lease for PORTS-Pike

The first phase of the PORTS-Pike computing campus is set to deliver 800 MW by 2028, under a 20-year lease and with dedicated NVIDIA hardware. The arrangement includes payments upon availability, an investment from NVIDIA for an initial 4.25 IT-GW, and regulatory and infrastructure dependencies. The project comes with commitments regarding the grid, water, and local benefits, including jobs, community funds, and AI tool credits for students.

2028 Timeline and 20-Year Lease with Phased Capacity Delivery

The initial 800 MW is expected by 2028, primarily relying on AEP's existing infrastructure. Beyond that, development will require new power plants, including natural gas facilities, as well as transmission lines and associated infrastructure. SB Energy will build, own, and operate the site under a 20-year lease granted to OpenAI, with capacity delivered in phases and dedicated to NVIDIA's AI computing infrastructure. OpenAI will begin payments only when completed capacities are available and plans to fund these commitments through its revenues, cash flows, and investor capital. NVIDIA will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy and provide financial support for the land, energy, and shell of the initial 4.25 IT-GW. The timeline remains contingent on the availability of necessary infrastructure, permits, environmental reviews, and financing.

Grid Improvements by SB Energy and Closed-Loop Cooling

SB Energy will be responsible for all grid improvements and the creation of new transmission lines required, with no cost repercussions for Ohio or local users. The project also aims to strengthen the regional grid and contribute to more stable long-term power supply while covering its own energy and infrastructure expenses. The data center will be equipped with closed-loop air cooling systems that allow for water reuse, with announced consumption significantly lower than that of the former Portsmouth plant. Once the system is filled, the ongoing water consumption is reported to be equivalent to that of a comparably sized office building.

35,000 Jobs Expected and $84M in Student Credits

The project is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs over a six-year period until 2032, as well as 2,500 permanent jobs, with a stated priority given to local workers, suppliers, and trades. OpenAI plans to allocate $40 million to a community fund, in addition to the existing $40 million agreement from SB Energy, targeting schools, public safety, health, utilities, vocational training, housing, veterans, small businesses, and workers' families. For education, up to $84 million in Codex credits will be distributed to nearly 844,000 eligible students in Ohio, aged at least 18, for the 2026–2027 academic year. Each student is expected to receive $100 in credits on their ChatGPT account. Codex, which is part of ChatGPT, is presented as a resource to support software and technical projects, with these credits aimed at encouraging practical applications in engineering, manufacturing, health, education, entrepreneurship, and skilled professions.

Annual Reporting, Local Compact, and Remediated Federal Site

OpenAI states that an annual report will cover local hiring, community investment, as well as water and energy usage related to the site. Regular exchanges with local stakeholders will inform a Community Compact for Ohio, aimed at translating the project's principles into public measures as it progresses. Development is underway on private land and on remediated land controlled by the Department of Energy, at the former Portsmouth gas diffusion site. OpenAI credits the Trump administration for contributing to the advancement of this remediation, presented as a new purpose for the site. The initiative is part of an agreement for approximately 8 IT-GW at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus with SB Energy, NVIDIA, and the Department of Energy; SB Energy has released additional information on portscampus.com. The stated ambition is to leverage this for job creation and community engagement for the youth of southern Ohio.

Joint Design with NVIDIA and Announced White Paper, Targeted Uses

NVIDIA and OpenAI are collaborating on the design, testing, and commissioning of the center, and are announcing a joint white paper on the lessons learned from the project. This will detail how resilient design, rigorous component qualification, and software load management can support increased availability, improved reliability, and extended mean time between failures at the cluster scale, with the declared goal of establishing a model for future supercomputers. OpenAI plans to leverage this capacity to meet the growing demand for advanced AI and maintain its research lead. The company presents data centers, alongside chips, energy, and high-speed networks, as foundational to AI, making tools like ChatGPT and Codex more reliable, affordable, and accessible. It reiterates its mission to generalize the benefits of general AI, its responsibility to communities, and its intention to work in partnership with Pike County by covering project costs, managing water responsibly, creating local opportunities, and ensuring long-term investment.