OpenAI is set to invest $30 billion in a 3.2GW data center in Georgia.

      Establishing a data centre was once a relatively quiet process, but that's changed. OpenAI's plans for a massive new facility in Georgia come with a strategic public relations effort, highlighting that the real challenge now lies not in construction but in community relations.

      According to Bloomberg, the company intends to invest tens of billions of dollars in a complex near Savannah and has secured a contract with Georgia Power for 3.2 gigawatts of electricity in Effingham County. To put this in perspective, one gigawatt can power approximately 750,000 homes.

      Referred to as Project Camellia, this facility would be among OpenAI's largest, as reported by DataCenterDynamics. The financial commitments are impressive, with OpenAI pledging $20 billion in the county to qualify for an incentive package headed for a vote this week. With the full 3.2 gigawatts, the expenditure is expected to exceed $30 billion, according to Sachin Katti, the company's vice-president of compute strategy.

      Some capacity will become operational by 2028, with the remainder set to follow by 2032. The company is actively seeking partners to assist with funding and development.

      A notable change is that OpenAI is now taking the lead in designing these facilities instead of merely renting them. It plans to share its designs freely.

      Open-sourcing the factory

      Stargate, OpenAI's infrastructure initiative, started as a collaboration with Oracle and SoftBank but has since attracted different partners, with OpenAI driving the planning process.

      Katti mentioned that "there are several lessons about how these facilities should be designed" that can "reduce costs and accelerate construction." The company aims to make its designs for data centres, hardware, and networking publicly available, mirroring the Open Compute Project initiated by Meta in 2011.

      A selective doubling-down

      This expansion is not indiscriminate. OpenAI has recently halted projects in the UK and Norway and opted not to expand its primary campus in Texas, scaling back spending as it prepares for a potential stock-market launch. Competitors, however, continue to advance. Anthropic has secured over 300 megawatts from SpaceX's Colossus 1 in Memphis, while Meta has allocated more than $250 billion for a single campus in Louisiana.

      Winning over Effingham County

      The appeal to local residents is crucial, as data centres often encounter strong opposition due to concerns about energy costs and water usage.

      To address this, OpenAI has committed to covering the full expenses of the electrical infrastructure, which state regulations prevent from being passed on to current customers, and it will manage power usage during peak periods. The company also promises a closed-loop cooling system, substantial tax contributions, a community fund, and AI-related incentives for local students.

      Moreover, the company intends to engage with the community. Chris Lehane, head of global affairs, mentioned that they plan to meet with county officials and start discussions with residents soon, along with commissioning an independent assessment of their commitments. "All issues will be local," he emphasized.

      Ultimately, whether the community will welcome a 3.2-gigawatt facility in a Georgia county remains to be seen in the coming years.