OpenAI plans to build a large-scale data center complex in Effingham County, Georgia, near the city of Savannah. According to an authoritative source, The Wall Street Journal, this project clearly demonstrates the significant capital and energy resources needed to develop next-generation artificial intelligence systems. The company has already secured the supply of 3.2 gigawatts of electricity from Georgia Power, which is enough to supply approximately 2.4 million households. The total cost of bringing the facility to full capacity is expected to exceed $30 billion, with the corporation committing to invest $20 billion locally to receive appropriate tax benefits.

The commissioning of the first computing facilities is scheduled for 2028, and the full expansion of the complex will be completed by 2032. Abandoning its exclusive dependence on cloud partners such as Microsoft, Oracle and SoftBank, the organization independently manages the design of the facility. Sachin Katti, Vice President of Computing Power Strategy at OpenAI, noted that the accumulated experience allows reducing costs and speeding up the construction process at the same time. Moreover, the company plans to publish these design solutions in the public domain as standard reference models for the industry.

This project is a key part of Sam Altman's massive infrastructure initiative called Stargate. At the same time, the organization recently decided to abandon sites in the UK, Norway and Texas in order to concentrate capital in large high-yield hubs ahead of the expected initial public offering. Providing access to multi-gigawatt capacities has become the main limiting factor in the development of the industry. Despite the fact that the deal cements Georgia's status as a significant technological center, it also attracts increased regulatory attention to the issues of energy grid capacity and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.