Hope and concern swirls for Ohioans around ‘world’s largest datacenter’
Summary
OpenAI, Nvidia, and Japanese investors plan to build one of the world's largest artificial intelligence datacenters in southern Ohio, costing about $500 billion and expected to open in 2028. The project will use a large amount of energy, supported by a nearby natural gas plant, but it has raised concerns because it is located near a former uranium enrichment site linked to local health problems.Key Facts
- The datacenter will provide 8 gigawatts (GW) of AI computing power.
- OpenAI will lease the datacenter capacity for 20 years from SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary.
- The project will use Nvidia’s AI computing technology.
- A new natural gas power plant will be built to supply energy, funded by $33 billion from Japanese investors.
- The site is partly on a former uranium enrichment plant that operated until 2001 and was associated with cancer and radiation concerns.
- The project emerged partly due to the Trump administration’s tariffs and agreements with Japan in 2025.
- The datacenter will create about 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent jobs.
- Some local people are hopeful about the jobs and money, while environmental groups worry about health and pollution risks.
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