OpenAI Lifts 2030 Infrastructure Spend to $750 Billion, Launches $20 Billion Georgia Data Center
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 22
OpenAI Lifts 2030 Infrastructure Spend to $750 Billion, Launches $20 Billion Georgia Data Center
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 22
Summary
$750 billion is OpenAI’s new infrastructure target through 2030, about 25% above its earlier estimate, as it pushes ahead while its Stargate data center project appears stalled.
$20 billion will fund Project Camellia, a 1,400-acre campus northwest of Savannah that is set to draw at least 3.2 gigawatts from Georgia Power, with capacity becoming available between 2028 and 2032.
Georgia Power said OpenAI will pay full infrastructure and electric-service costs and cut demand by up to 1 gigawatt during grid stress, while Effingham County granted a 50% property tax abatement for 15 years.
3.2 gigawatts would consume about a third of the 9,885 megawatts of new generation Georgia Power won approval to add, with filings showing most of that expansion will come from natural gas rather than disclosed clean-power sources.
OpenAI has not said when GPUs will go live at the site, though its recent hire of former xAI data-center builder Brett Mayo suggests it may try to accelerate construction despite environmental scrutiny around gas-powered AI campuses.
Will OpenAI's $20B Georgia data center deliver jobs without the pollution and lawsuits seen elsewhere?
Will OpenAI's massive power demand secretly drive up electricity bills for millions of Georgia families?
Can AI's future be built on fossil fuels without sacrificing public health and climate goals?
OpenAI’s $3.2GW Data Center Bet: The High-Stakes Race to Build Trillion-Dollar AI Infrastructure
Overview
OpenAI is rapidly scaling up its infrastructure ambitions between 2026 and 2030, highlighted by a massive 3.2 gigawatt data center project—equivalent to the output of three nuclear power plants. This bold move reflects OpenAI’s drive to support the soaring demand for AI services and maintain a competitive edge, as seen in the widespread adoption of products like Codex. The company’s significant increase in infrastructure spending aims to build a strong foundation for advanced AI models, positioning OpenAI at the forefront of the industry’s ongoing race for technological and operational dominance.