OpenAI has entered an agreement to secure approximately 8 GW (!) of AI capacity in Ohio, one of its largest infrastructure commitments yet.

SB Energy will build, own, and operate the PORTS-Pike data center under a 20-year lease. The campus will exclusively host NVIDIA compute (big w for NVIDIA), with the first 800 MW expected in 2028 and the six-year buildout running through 2032.

NVIDIA will invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy and support the initial 4.25 GW.

OpenAI says the project could create 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent roles. It is also committing $40 million to a local fund and up to $84 million in Codex credits for 844,000 Ohio students.

Another moat against Anthropic. OpenAI is building the compute that Anthropic would love to have.