OpenAI Eyes Massive 10GW Ohio Data Center Campus in Potential $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data center campus in Ohio, a project that could become one of the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure developments ever undertaken. According to a report from The Information, the AI company is exploring a long-term agreement that may also involve financial support from semiconductor giant Nvidia.

Sources familiar with the matter said the planned Ohio data center campus could cost at least $500 billion to build when factoring in expenses such as AI chips, construction labor, power generation, and other infrastructure requirements. If finalized, the project would significantly expand OpenAI’s computing capacity as demand for advanced AI models continues to rise.

Under the reported arrangement, OpenAI would lease the facility for 20 years and maintain control over the computing equipment housed at the site. Lease payments would begin once the data center becomes operational, with the first phase of the project expected to come online in 2028.

The development is reportedly being led by SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary, on land owned by the U.S. Department of Energy in southern Ohio. Nvidia is expected to play a central role by supplying AI hardware for the facility. The chipmaker could also provide a financial guarantee to support OpenAI’s lease commitments and SB Energy’s project financing efforts.

Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the report. OpenAI and Nvidia did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside normal business hours.

The reported Ohio project comes as competition intensifies among leading AI companies to secure large-scale computing resources. Earlier this year, OpenAI paused its proposed Stargate data center initiative in the United Kingdom, citing regulatory challenges and elevated energy costs.

Meanwhile, AI infrastructure investments continue to accelerate across the industry. Reuters recently reported that Apollo Global Management and Blackstone are backing a $35 billion AI capacity expansion project for Anthropic, which will utilize Broadcom-powered technology to support growing artificial intelligence workloads.

If completed, the Ohio facility would represent a major milestone in the global race to build the next generation of AI data centers and high-performance computing infrastructure.