OpenAI Launches 3.2-GW Project Camellia AI Data Center
The rapid expansion of AI training and inference is making access to electricity and grid capacity central to data-center development. OpenAI’s Project Camellia in Georgia is planned as a hyperscale AI campus requiring as much as 3.2 gigawatts of power. The project underscores how the AI infrastructure race is extending beyond chips and servers to long-term energy supply, transmission investment and benefits for surrounding communities.
OpenAI has signed a 25-year power agreement with Georgia Power, with Project Camellia scheduled to connect to the grid in phases from 2028 through 2032. The campus could return as much as 1 GW of electricity during peak periods to support grid stability. OpenAI also plans to establish a community fund and provide local students with up to $71 million in Codex usage credits.
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The history behind this eventOpenAI Unveils Project Camellia Data Center in Georgia
OpenAI is designing Project Camellia as a long-term data center in Effingham County, Georgia, at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub. The privately funded project reflects the company’s push to expand U.S. computing capacity, a key constraint on how quickly artificial intelligence models improve and reach users. OpenAI says the development could strengthen domestic industry while giving southeast Georgia a larger stake in AI-driven investment, jobs and tax revenue.
OpenAI outlined its initial commitments on July 22, 2026, including a contract with Georgia Power Company for 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, delivered in phases from 2028 through 2032. It pledged $80 million in community benefits and up to $71 million in Codex credits for eligible Georgia students, alongside thousands of construction and permanent on-site jobs. OpenAI said existing ratepayers would not bear the project’s power costs. A public open house is scheduled for July 23, with independent audits planned annually.
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