OpenAI Plans $20 Billion Project Camellia Data Center in Georgia

OpenAI announced plans Wednesday to develop Project Camellia, a $20 billion, 1,400-acre data center campus in Effingham County, Georgia. Located within the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, the facility marks the first time the company will serve as the lead designer and developer of its own data center. To support the site, OpenAI contracted 3.2 gigawatts of power from Georgia Power to be delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032.

The project is part of a larger infrastructure surge, with OpenAI increasing its projected spending on computing power to $750 billion through 2030, up from $600 billion. This shift follows the stagnation of the Stargate initiative, a proposed $500 billion joint venture with SoftBank and Oracle. To manage this expansion, the company hired Brent Mayo, formerly of xAI, as head of data-center build and delivery.

Local officials in Effingham County approved a 15-year, 50% property tax abatement to secure the investment. The campus is expected to create 400 to 1,000 permanent jobs and generate enough tax revenue to potentially eliminate county homestead property taxes through an initiative called Project Zero. To address community concerns, OpenAI pledged an $80 million community investment fund, $71 million in Codex credits for students, and a closed-loop cooling system to protect local water resources.

Despite the expansion, internal tensions persist. CFO Sarah Friar has expressed concerns regarding the company's ability to fund future contracts if revenue growth does not accelerate ahead of a planned initial public offering.