- OpenAI is discussing a 20-year lease for a 10 GW Ohio data center campus.
- Nvidia is expected to supply chips and provide financial backing for the project.
- OpenAI has also confidentially filed for a US IPO while continuing to expand AI infra.
OpenAI is discussing a long-term deal to secure one of the largest AI computing sites ever proposed. The company is in talks to lease a 10-gigawatt data center campus on federal land in southern Ohio, with Nvidia expected to supply hardware and help finance the project.
The project could cost more than $500 billion based on current prices for chips, labor, power, and construction. OpenAI would lease the site for 20 years and control the computing equipment inside the campus.
Lease payments would begin after operations start, with the first phase expected to come online in 2028.
The site would be developed by SB Energy, a SoftBank unit, on Department of Energy land at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, Ohio. The redevelopment is backed by plans for 10 gigawatts of power generation, including at least 9.2 GW from natural gas.
Bigger Than Existing Data Center Markets
A single 10 GW campus would push AI infrastructure into a new category. OpenAI’s Stargate network currently spans seven locations across Texas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio, totaling around 7 GW of planned capacity. The proposed Ohio campus alone would exceed that combined footprint.
Northern Virginia, the world’s biggest data center market, had roughly 5 GW of capacity in 2025. The Ohio project would be about twice that size. It would also surpass the roughly 5 GW portfolio acquired by BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, and xAI through their Aligned Data Centers deal.
OpenAI’s existing infrastructure partners include Oracle, SoftBank, Microsoft, CoreWeave, and Nvidia.
Nvidia Expands Beyond Chip Supplier Role
According to reports, Nvidia could provide financial guarantees supporting OpenAI’s lease commitments and SB Energy’s financing. The companies had already signed a letter of intent in 2025 covering at least 10 GW of Nvidia systems. Nvidia also committed up to $100 billion in OpenAI as capacity comes online.
The first gigawatt was originally targeted for the second half of 2026 using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform.
OpenAI has repeatedly pointed to a shortage of computing power. Company executives have said demand for AI training and inference continues to outpace available capacity. The Ohio expansion is another attempt to close this gap.
IPO Filing Adds Another Growth Layer
While discussing new infrastructure, OpenAI has also confidentially filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a future IPO.
The company said no timing decision has been made and that remaining private still offers advantages. OpenAI expects details to become public eventually, but said a listing may still be some time away.
Anthropic announced its own IPO plans earlier this month, while SpaceX is set for an IPO on June 12. The AI boom has fueled a strong IPO market following successful listings from crypto firms such as Circle, eToro, and Bullish.
In a recent blog post, CEO Sam Altman and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki said the economy is being rebuilt around AI and argued that advanced AI should remain widely accessible rather than concentrated among a small number of institutions.
Related: OpenAI IPO Filing Arrives as AI Reshapes U.S. Employment Trends
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.
