{"slug": "openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy", "title": "OpenAI leases 10-gigawatt AI data center campus from SoftBank’s SB Energy", "summary": "OpenAI Group PBC signed a 20-year lease for a 10-gigawatt AI data center campus in Ohio, to be built and operated by SB Energy, a SoftBank Group Corp. unit, with at least 10 gigawatts of new energy infrastructure including a $33 billion power plant and $4.2 billion in transmission lines. Nvidia Corp. is backstopping the first 4.25 gigawatts of capacity and buying a $1.5 billion stake in SB Energy, which reportedly plans an IPO as early as next month at a valuation up to $50 billion. Construction is expected to run through 2032, creating 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 long-term roles, with the first 800 megawatts online in 2028.", "body_md": "### OpenAI leases 10-gigawatt AI data center campus from SoftBank’s SB Energy\n\nOpenAI Group PBC today [announced](https://openai.com/index/openai-joins-ports-pike-project/) that it has signed a 20-year lease for a sprawling data center cluster in Ohio.\n\nThe campus is being built on the premises of a former uranium processing plant. The construction project is led by SB Energy, a SoftBank Group Corp. unit that develops data centers and energy infrastructure. SB Energy will own and operate the Ohio campus once construction is complete.\n\nAccording to OpenAI, the site will be supported by at least 10 gigawatts of new energy infrastructure. SB Energy plans to build a $33 billion power plant and link it to the data center campus using $4.2 billion worth of power transmission lines.\n\nOpenAI didn’t disclose how much the campus itself will cost. According to the Wall [Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/openai-locks-in-lease-for-huge-data-center-in-ohio-with-backing-from-nvidia-7474bb9c), the site is set to host hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Nvidia Corp. chips.\n\nThe graphics card giant is backstopping the first 4.25 gigawatts of data center capacity. The Journal’s sources stated that Nvidia could extend the credit support to the entire campus. Furthermore, the company has reportedly agreed to cover SB Energy’s losses if OpenAI scraps the lease and no other tenant is found. Nvidia will reportedly “pay any difference in the value, up to $105 billion” if the SoftBank unit has to sell the site.\n\nTraditional data center cooling systems evaporate a portion of the water they use to absorb server heat. As a result, they have to be continuity refilled. OpenAI says that its campus will use less water thanks to “closed-loop, air-cooled cooling systems” that don’t require refills. The company didn’t detail how the systems will work\n\nThe coolant in closed-loop cooling equipment is usually a mix of water and a food additive called propylene glycol. The latter material prevents the coolant from freezing when it’s not supposed to and thus reduces corrosion. The water, in turn, usually goes through a filtering process that removes any minerals it may contain. That makes it less conductive, which lowers the risk to data center electronics.\n\nPumps circulate the coolant through server racks to absorb the heat generated by the graphics cards inside. From there, the warm water is routed outside the data center, where fans cool by running air over the pipes through which it flows. The coolant subsequently returns to the server racks and the process repeats.\n\nOpenAI expects construction to run through 2032. According to the company, the project will create 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 long-term data center maintenance roles. The first 800 megawatts of computing capacity is scheduled to come online in 2028.\n\nNvidia is buying a $1.5 billion stake in SB Energy to support the project. The chipmaker could realize a return on its investment well before construction is complete: the SoftBank unit reportedly plans to go public as early as next month. SB Energy is [reportedly](https://www.reuters.com/world/softbank-hires-banks-us-ipos-sb-energy-ai-robotics-spinoff-roze-sources-say-2026-05-26/) seeking a valuation of up to $50 billion.\n\n##### Photo: OpenAI\n\n# A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:\n\nSupport our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. **Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network**, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.\n\n**15M+ viewers of theCUBE videos**, powering conversations across AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more** 11.4k+ theCUBE alumni**— Connect with more than 11,400 tech and business leaders shaping the future through a unique trusted-based network\n\n### Are you an AWS customer? 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Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy", "canonical_source": "https://siliconangle.com/2026/08/17/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy/", "published_at": "2026-08-17 21:12:49+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-17 21:42:10.185679+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-infrastructure", "ai-chips"], "entities": ["OpenAI Group PBC", "SB Energy", "SoftBank Group Corp.", "Nvidia Corp.", "Ohio", "Wall Street Journal"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-leases-10-gigawatt-ai-data-center-campus-from-softbanks-sb-energy.jsonld"}}