OpenAI is negotiating a long-term agreement to secure computing capacity from a proposed data center campus in southern Ohio, a project that could rank among the largest AI infrastructure developments ever planned.
According to multiple reports, OpenAI is discussing a 20-year lease arrangement for a campus designed to deliver up to 10 gigawatts of power. At current estimates for hardware, energy infrastructure, construction, and labor, total development costs could exceed $500 billion.
The facility would be developed by SB Energy, a SoftBank-owned energy and infrastructure company. The site would span both federal property managed by the US Department of Energy and adjacent privately owned land in southern Ohio.
Under the reported structure, OpenAI would lease the campus rather than own it outright. The company would manage and operate the computing equipment deployed at the facility, with lease payments beginning once operations commence. Initial capacity is expected to come online in 2028.
NVIDIA is expected to play a central role in the project. Reports indicate the company would supply the AI hardware used throughout the campus and could also provide financial support by guaranteeing portions of OpenAI’s lease commitments.
The project’s planned 10-gigawatt scale matches the capacity target originally outlined for Stargate, the AI infrastructure initiative announced by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle in early 2025.
For OpenAI, securing that capacity could become a critical step in supporting the next generation of compute-intensive AI models.
A Public-Private Initiative
The location carries historical significance as well. The proposed development is tied to the Portsmouth Site in Pike County, Ohio, a former uranium enrichment facility that operated during the Cold War before ending operations in 2001.
Earlier this year, the US Department of Energy announced a public-private initiative involving SoftBank and AEP Ohio aimed at redeveloping the area. Plans include construction of 10 gigawatts of new power generation capacity and approximately $4.2 billion in transmission upgrades to support large industrial and technology projects.
Most of the planned electricity generation would come from natural gas facilities. Public announcements tied to the redevelopment project indicated that much of the planned generation would be supported by Japanese investment capital.
Clearly, leading AI model developers are investing heavily to secure access to computing resources as demand for AI training and inference continues to rise. Data center construction has become a top priority as companies compete to build not just better AI models but the larger data facilities to support them.
OpenAI has been particularly focused on expanding infrastructure access. Earlier this year, the company paused a proposed data center initiative in the UK, citing regulatory challenges and energy costs. The Ohio project would provide a substantially larger domestic alternative if negotiations ultimately lead to a finalized agreement.
The development would also reinforce growing ties between OpenAI, SoftBank, and NVIDIA. SoftBank has expanded its involvement in AI infrastructure investments, while NVIDIA not only remains the dominant supplier of advanced chips for AI models but also works to expand its product offerings across the data center sector. Neither OpenAI nor NVIDIA has publicly confirmed the reported discussions.
