Artificial intelligence research and deployment company OpenAI has announced plans for a 3.2 GW data center campus in Effingham County, Georgia, in a project the company is designing and developing itself rather than leasing capacity from a third-party operator.
The project, which OpenAI calls Project Camellia, comprises four buildings across 1,400 acres and is scheduled to open in phases from 2028. Effingham County leaders have valued the project at US$ 20 billion, a figure that appears in a joint county announcement. However, Bloomberg reports that Sachin Katti, OpenAI Vice President of Compute Strategy, estimates the project will cost more than US$ 30 billion at full build out.
According to OpenAI’s press release, it is contracting with Georgia Power Company for the 3.2 GW that Project Camellia requires, with the power delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032 under a 25-year agreement. OpenAI added it will pay the full infrastructure and electric-service costs. The agreement also includes up to 1,000 MW of flexible demand response, allowing Georgia Power to reduce deliveries during periods of high demand.
“Building this infrastructure in the United States strengthens domestic industry, creates good jobs, and helps ensure American communities participate in the economic opportunity created by AI,” OpenAI wrote.
The campus will sit within the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, a 2,600-acre global logistics campus already zoned for warehousing. OpenAI says a data center on the site would produce materially less traffic than a warehouse project, use less water, and generate stronger long-term tax revenue for the county. According to OpenAI, the data center will use a closed-loop water system to keep ongoing water use low, and won’t rely on the public water supply for cooling.
“Economic development is about attracting companies that create lasting value for the community. This project represents a major private investment that will generate substantial new tax revenue, bring hundreds of high-paying jobs, and create new opportunities for local businesses, contractors, suppliers, and our future workforce,” Effingham County Industrial Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Brandt Herndon said in a statement.
The campus is expected to create 400 long-term on-site roles when it opens in 2028, rising to roughly 1,000 by 2032. OpenAI will also provide US$ 80 million in community benefits over the life of the project geared toward local priorities including schools, public safety, health care, utilities, workforce training, housing, veterans’ services, and more.
Significant work remains before construction begins, including the development of a site plan, infrastructure, phasing, design, permitting, financing, and operating model.
Project Camellia sits within OpenAI’s broader Stargate program. The company has historically relied on capacity from providers including Oracle, Microsoft, CoreWeave, and AWS, and continues to do so. Its flagship Stargate site in Abilene, Texas, was developed and built by Crusoe and is leased and operated by Oracle, with power capacity targeted to reach 1.2 GW over the project’s lifetime. OpenAI is yet to select finance and development partner for the Georgia project.