PIKE CITY, Ohio — Nvidia announced Monday that it will finance an OpenAI data center at the PORTS‑Pike Technology Campus in Pike City, committing up to $105 billion to fund the project's first phase and to help underwrite future expansion of the site’s computing capacity.
Scope, partners and timeline
The agreement covers financing for the data center’s initial 4.25 gigawatts of computing capacity, with an option to bring an additional 3.75 gigawatts online. Together with partner commitments, the facility could be sized with enough power supply to reach 10 gigawatts.
Construction and operations at the PORTS‑Pike Technology Campus will be handled by SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, according to the announcement. Nvidia said the site is expected to begin operating in 2028, and Nvidia will also supply the compute hardware for the facility.
Jobs and economic investment
OpenAI said the Pike City project will support a substantial number of jobs during the build-out and long term. The announcement projects roughly 35,000 construction jobs through 2032 and about 2,500 permanent positions once the center is operating.
SB Energy and SoftBank agreed to invest at least $4.2 billion in regional power‑grid infrastructure to accommodate the center’s energy demands. Nvidia additionally committed $1.5 billion in direct investment to SB Energy, part of the financing package that underpins the project.
Why Nvidia says the deal matters
Nvidia framed the investment as securing a durable site for high‑density AI computing while allowing hardware inside the center to be upgraded over time. In its press material, the company said the commitment locks in long‑term power availability and that successive generations of Nvidia compute can increase capacity and efficiency.
"This is the essential economic point: the [Load Power Supply] commitment secures a long‑lived AI factory site, while the NVIDIA compute inside can be upgraded repeatedly," the company said.
Local and regional implications
The proposed center would mark one of the largest private‑sector technology investments announced in the region. The combination of substantial construction employment, long‑term high‑skill roles and multi‑billion‑dollar grid upgrades could reshape the local economy in Pike County and nearby communities.
Officials at the PORTS‑Pike Technology Campus have promoted the site as a destination for large‑scale industrial and technology projects because of available land and proximity to energy resources. The project will require extensive coordination with utilities, local governments and workforce development entities to deliver the promised power upgrades and staffing pipeline.
Energy and infrastructure
Power demand is the defining constraint for AI data centers. The SB Energy commitment to build capacity for up to 10 gigawatts — and the accompanying $4.2 billion minimum investment into the regional grid — signals both the scale of the technical challenge and the intent to meet it. For context, single‑digit gigawatt figures are commonly associated with multiple large power plants or major aggregate industrial usage.
What’s next
The announcement does not disclose detailed financing terms, specific construction timelines beyond the 2028 target, or exact locations inside the PORTS campus where facilities will be sited. Local permitting, land preparation, transmission upgrades and hiring will be milestones to watch in coming months and years.
- Financing: Nvidia up to $105 billion for initial and optional capacity.
- Capacity: 4.25 GW initial, 3.75 GW option, potential 10 GW supply buildout.
- Jobs: 35,000 construction jobs through 2032; 2,500 long‑term roles.
- Partners: SB Energy (SoftBank subsidiary) to build and manage; OpenAI as tenant.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Initial computing capacity | 4.25 GW |
| Additional option | 3.75 GW |
| Potential total power supply | 10 GW |
| Projected construction jobs | 35,000 through 2032 |
| Projected permanent jobs | 2,500 |
The announcement follows a broader industry trend of locating AI compute near abundant power and where grid upgrades can be secured. For Pike County, the deal would bring new activity and put the PORTS‑Pike campus on the map as a major hub for advanced computing, should the project proceed as planned.
Local officials and economic development agencies have not yet released detailed responses in public statements tied to the Nvidia announcement. Residents and stakeholders can expect a sequence of public hearings and permitting steps as project proponents seek approvals and begin work over the next two years.
Reporting will continue as more details on financing, construction schedules, permitting and community impacts become available.
