OpenAI Eyes 10-Gigawatt Ohio Mega Campus With Nvidia Backing

OpenAI is weighing a long-term lease for a massive data center complex in southern Ohio, a move that would deepen its infrastructure push as demand for AI computing climbs.

The company is looking at renting capacity at a proposed 10-gigawatt campus on U.S. government land, according to a report by The Information and Reuters. SB Energy, part of SoftBank, would build the site on Department of Energy land in Ohio.

Construction could cost $500 billion or more using current assumptions for chips, labor, electricity and other inputs. Under the framework, OpenAI would oversee the gear installed there under a 20-year lease. Payments would begin once the facility is up and running.

The first stage of operations is targeted for 2028. Nvidia is expected to provide the computing hardware and also offer a financial backstop tied to OpenAI's lease obligations and SB Energy's funding plan, the report said.

OpenAI previously paused a separate data center plan in the U.K., pointing to regulatory issues and elevated power costs. The company also recently submitted a confidential draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the SEC, though it has not formally filed a timeline for an IPO.

Nvidia shares were down 3.77% at $200.34 in Tuesday trading, giving the chipmaker a market cap near $5 trillion. The stock has an Alpha Score of 69 out of 100, rated Moderate.