{"slug": "nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and", "title": "NVIDIA, OpenAI, and SB Energy Detail the 8 IT-GW PORTS-Pike Technology Campus and Its $105 Billion Credit Backstop", "summary": "NVIDIA, OpenAI, and SB Energy detailed the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio, an 8 IT-GW AI compute buildout backed by a $105 billion credit guarantee from NVIDIA, with the first 800MW expected in 2028 and full completion by 2032. SB Energy will build and operate the data center, leasing it to OpenAI for 20 years, while NVIDIA guarantees exclusive use of its AI compute and provides $1.5 billion in direct investment plus credit support capped at $105 billion. The project, developed with the U.S. Department of Energy and Commerce, includes $80 million in community benefits and is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 long-term jobs.", "body_md": "NVIDIA, OpenAI, and SB Energy have [shared more information](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-guarantees-sb-energy-s-ports-pike-technology-campus-in-ohio-to-exclusively-host-nvidia-ai-compute) about the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio. The project will combine an 8 IT-GW compute buildout with one of the largest financing backstops seen so far in the AI infrastructure sector. The project is being developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Commerce because it sits on the site of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.\n\nSB Energy will build, own, and run the data center, then lease it to OpenAI for 20 years. NVIDIA has guaranteed that only NVIDIA AI compute will be used at the site. OpenAI will use NVIDIA’s full DSX AI factory platform, which includes GPUs, CPUs, and networking. The first phase will provide 4.25 IT-GW of capacity, and NVIDIA can add another 3.75 IT-GW later, bringing the total to 8 IT-GW. NVIDIA will only start making payments as each phase becomes available. OpenAI will pay its lease using revenue, cash flow, and capital raised as the facility opens in stages.\n\nThe first 800MW of capacity is expected in 2028, largely using AEP’s existing infrastructure. The entire project will take six years to complete, finishing in 2032. SB Energy and SoftBank plan to build at least 10 GW of new power generation to support the 8 IT-GW compute needs. They will also invest $4.2 billion in the regional grid through a partnership with AEP Ohio.\n\n## Financing Structure\n\nNVIDIA is investing $1.5 billion directly in SB Energy, joining SoftBank Group and OpenAI as investors. NVIDIA is also offering [credit support](https://www.storagereview.com/news/nvidia-pairs-revenue-sharing-with-credit-support-to-finance-ai-cloud-buildouts) for land, power, and building costs for the first 4.25 IT-GW phase. NVIDIA’s [SEC filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000104581026000069/nvda-20260817.htm) says this obligation is capped at $105 billion.\n\nThe filing states that NVIDIA’s payment obligations begin only when the lessor meets the ready-for-service conditions, which are expected to occur in 2028. OpenAI is the main tenant, but if OpenAI becomes insolvent or misses lease payments, NVIDIA must cover the gap between the guaranteed minimum lease value and what is recovered from a new lease or sale. If this happens, NVIDIA can take over the lease, ask the lessor to find a new tenant, start a sale, let the lease end, or wait up to a year while paying certain project costs. NVIDIA’s obligations end when the lease reaches 20 years, OpenAI ends the lease, OpenAI gets a good credit rating, or other standard conditions are met. OpenAI has agreed to reimburse NVIDIA for any amounts NVIDIA covers under this arrangement.\n\nThis setup makes NVIDIA a financial backstop for its biggest customer’s data center lease. It links NVIDIA’s finances directly to how fast and reliably OpenAI can grow its revenue.\n\n## Community and Regional Commitments\n\nSB Energy has pledged $40 million to a community benefits fund for Pike County, and OpenAI will match this with another $40 million. The money will go toward affordable energy, job creation, workforce training, and local economic projects. The project should create 35,000 construction jobs by 2032 and 2,500 long-term jobs. [OpenAI says](https://openai.com/index/openai-joins-ports-pike-project/) it will pay the project’s specific energy and infrastructure costs rather than passing them to local ratepayers, and the campus will run closed loop, air cooled systems that recirculate water, with ongoing use expected to be comparable to an office building of similar headcount.\n\n## Backdrop\n\nThe total capacity is important, but for infrastructure and storage vendors, the key detail is the phasing. The 8 IT-GW of NVIDIA-based compute will come online in stages from 2028 to 2032, creating a long-term order pipeline for storage, networking, power, and cooling suppliers working with [NVIDIA’s DSX platform](https://www.storagereview.com/news/volta-comes-out-of-stealth-with-a-10b-ai-lab-partnership-and-a-133mw-vera-rubin-factory-in-norway). The financing is just as notable. A $1.5 billion direct equity investment, along with a credit backstop of over $100 billion (as reported by the Financial Times and capped at $105 billion in NVIDIA’s SEC filing), shows how NVIDIA is financially supporting demand for its own hardware. This links NVIDIA’s financial risk directly to OpenAI’s ability to generate sufficient revenue and cash flow to meet lease payments over the agreement’s term.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and", "canonical_source": "https://www.storagereview.com/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and-its-105-billion-credit-backstop", "published_at": "2026-08-19 18:26:44+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-19 18:55:19.641198+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-infrastructure", "ai-policy", "ai-products"], "entities": ["NVIDIA", "OpenAI", "SB Energy", "SoftBank Group", "AEP Ohio", "U.S. Department of Energy", "U.S. Department of Commerce", "PORTS-Pike Technology Campus"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-openai-and-sb-energy-detail-the-8-it-gw-ports-pike-technology-campus-and.jsonld"}}