KEY POINTS
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NVIDIA will be the exclusive AI compute infrastructure provider for SB Energy’s PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio, where OpenAI is the 20-year tenant.
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The initial deployment is designed for 4.25 GW of AI compute capacity, and NVIDIA has the option to support the remaining 3.75 GW, for a total of up to 8 GW of AI compute capacity.
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The project includes at least 10 GW of new power generation, $4.2 billion in regional grid infrastructure, 35,000 anticipated construction jobs, 2,500 operating jobs, and an $80 million community benefits fund.
NVIDIA said Aug. 17 that it has secured land, power and shell capacity through a partnership with SB Energy for the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio. The artificial-intelligence campus will exclusively host NVIDIA compute, with OpenAI as the customer.
The initial deployment is designed for 4.25 GW of AI compute capacity, and NVIDIA has the option to support the remaining 3.75 GW of planned capacity.
AI Factory Financing and Infrastructure
In a separate Reuters report, NVIDIA agreed to provide a guarantee of up to $105 billion to help OpenAI lease the Ohio campus, one of the chipmaker’s largest infrastructure-financing commitments.
Reuters stated that the guarantee covers a portion of lease and power payments and includes a commitment to ensure that the site retains a minimum value if OpenAI were to default.
A rendering of the new data center that will be constructed on the footprint of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant facility. The PORTS-Pike Technology Campus is being developed on private and federal land around the decommissioned Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a former uranium-enrichment complex in Scioto Township, just south of Piketon. Image: U.S. Department of Energy
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said in the release that securing long-lived land, power and shell infrastructure will allow OpenAI to upgrade the site repeatedly as new generations of computing technology become available. NVIDIA and others describe such facilities as AI factories. In practice, the term generally refers to large-scale data centers designed to train, run and update artificial-intelligence systems.
SB Energy will build, own and operate the data center under a 20-year lease with OpenAI, according to NVIDIA, and the project will use NVIDIA’s full-stack DSX AI factory platform, including graphics processing units, central processing units and networking equipment.
Phased Construction Planned
The PORTS-Pike Technology Campus is being developed on private and federal land around the decommissioned Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a former uranium-enrichment complex in Scioto Township, just south of Piketon. The former site housed over 400 structures, spanned 3,700 acres, and was encircled with a seven-mile road.
SB Energy is working with AEP Ohio, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Commerce on the project, which is expected to come online in phases beginning in 2028. In an April 7, 2026, statement, the U.S. Department of Energy called it “the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) data center on leased land.”
SB Energy and SoftBank Group plan to build at least 10 GW of new energy generation to support 8 GW of AI factory capacity. The PORTS-Pike site also identifies $4.2 billion in new regional grid infrastructure, including high-voltage transmission lines. SB Energy said it will fund the grid upgrades and new transmission, adding that it will avoid affecting Ohio ratepayers.
The first 800-MW phase is scheduled to begin construction in 2026, according to the campus website.
Jobs and Community Investment
The project is expected to generate 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 operating positions, according to the campus website. SB Energy and SoftBank initially committed $40 million to a community benefits fund. OpenAI is adding another $40 million for affordable energy, workforce development, job creation and community and economic development.
NVIDIA also said it will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy, joining SoftBank Group and OpenAI as an investor. The investment is intended to support SB Energy’s expansion as an AI infrastructure developer and its commitments to Pike County and surrounding communities.
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