One-Line Summary

OpenAI signs a 20-year deal to secure about 8 GW-IT of AI compute at Ohio’s PORTS-Pike campus with SB Energy and Nvidia, coupling massive infrastructure with jobs and community funding.

Big Tech

OpenAI to secure about 8 GW-IT at Ohio’s PORTS-Pike campus

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, says it will secure approximately 8 gigawatts-IT of AI compute capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio, in partnership with SB Energy, Nvidia, and the U.S. Department of Energy. SB Energy will build, own, and operate the facility under a 20-year lease to OpenAI, and the site will exclusively host Nvidia AI compute infrastructure delivered over time. ¹

The plan includes local economic commitments: an estimated 35,000 construction jobs during a six-year buildout through 2032, 2,500 long-term operating jobs, a $40 million community grant fund from OpenAI atop SB Energy’s previously announced $40 million, and $84 million in Codex credits via ChatGPT for Ohio college students. ¹

OpenAI states the first 800 megawatts are expected to become available in 2028, largely using existing AEP infrastructure, while later phases require new power plants (including natural gas), new transmission lines, and related facilities. Development depends on infrastructure, permits, environmental reviews, and financing. ¹

Nvidia will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy and provide credit support for land, power, and the shell buildout tied to the initial 4.25 IT-GW. OpenAI and Nvidia plan to co-design, test, and commission the data center and to publish a technical white paper on infrastructure resiliency, component qualification, and software-level workload management to improve availability and reliability at cluster scale. ¹

What This Means for You

For teams using AI services, this points to expanding compute supply behind tools like ChatGPT and Codex, which could translate over time into higher reliability, capacity, and potentially better pricing as new capacity comes online starting in 2028. ¹

The 20-year lease, exclusive Nvidia infrastructure, and a planned white paper on reliability signal deeper vertical coordination from chips to data center software. For operators and product managers, it’s a cue to ask vendors about redundancy, capacity ramp schedules, and failover paths as large projects depend on power buildouts and approvals. ¹

If you’re in or hiring for infrastructure-adjacent roles, note the project’s jobs footprint and community programs in Southern Ohio, plus the $84 million in credits for Ohio college students, which may broaden AI literacy and talent pipelines in the region. ¹

Action Items

1. Skim OpenAI’s PORTS-Pike announcement: Note the 2028 800 MW milestone, the 20-year lease structure, and Nvidia’s role to brief your team on likely reliability and capacity implications.
2. Draft five reliability questions for your AI vendors: Ask about redundancy, regional failover, capacity ramp timelines, and how infrastructure changes affect SLAs and pricing.
3. Baseline your team’s AI usage and latency: Record current response times and monthly spend for your top AI tools to compare as market capacity expands.
4. If you’re in Ohio higher-ed, ask about ChatGPT Codex credits: Check with your institution on eligibility and how to access the $84M in credits.