OpenAI has entered into an agreement to utilize capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Data Center in Pike County, Ohio, working with SB Energy, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Pike County helped power American industry in the last century. Here’s how we’ll ensure this project becomes a catalyst for future jobs, investment, and long-term opportunity in Southern Ohio. - SB Energy will pay the full cost of all grid upgrades and new transmission lines needed to serve the data center so the costs aren’t shifted to Ohio or other ratepayers in the region. - This data center will use closed-loop, air-cooled cooling systems that recirculate water rather than relying on cooling towers that continuously consume water. It is expected to use significantly less water than was historically used by the Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant. - The project is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs during its six-year buildout through 2032 and 2,500 long-term operating jobs, with a focus on local workers, contractors, suppliers, trades, and service providers. - We will enable an initial combined community investment of $80 million: $40 million from OpenAI for priorities defined by the local community alongside SB Energy’s existing $40 million commitment. The project is also expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue over its lifetime, with local property taxes primarily supporting public schools. - OpenAI will make up to $84 million in Codex credits available to approximately 844,000 eligible Ohio college, community college, and technical school students aged 18 and older during the 2026–2027 academic year. - Each year, we will publish a report on our progress, and local input will help shape the Ohio Community Compact. openai.com/index/openai-join…