Nvidia Backs 8-GW Ohio AI Campus for OpenAI With $1.5 Billion Investment

Nvidia, a leading chipmaker, has announced a substantial $1.5 billion investment in an artificial intelligence (AI) data center project in Ohio. The company has partnered with SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan's SoftBank Group, to establish the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio. This campus is expected to generate at least 10 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity, significantly impacting the U.S. electricity demand.

The project will initially provide 4.25 GW of IT capacity, with Nvidia holding an option for another 3.75 GW, leading to a total of 8 GW of AI computing capacity upon completion. SB Energy will construct, own, and operate the data center infrastructure, while Nvidia will supply AI computing systems, including GPUs, CPUs, and networking equipment.

The project is being built around the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a Cold War-era uranium enrichment site, and aims to transform the area into a technology and power hub. SB Energy plans to develop at least 10 GW of new electricity generation to support the campus, investing $4.2 billion in regional grid infrastructure through a partnership with AEP Ohio.

The development is expected to bring tens of thousands of jobs to Ohio and includes a $80 million community benefits fund for energy affordability, workforce development, and regional economic growth. This significant AI infrastructure investment highlights the growing relationship between AI data centers and the energy sector, as hyperscalers and AI companies seek dedicated generation, transmission capacity, and long-term power arrangements to meet the increasing electricity demands of AI computing.