On July 22, 2026, OpenAI announced that it will design and develop an AI data center called "Project Camellia" in Effingham County, Georgia. The plan calls for receiving 3.2GW of power supply from Georgia Power, with development proceeding in phases from 2028 through 2032. The county has indicated a capital investment figure of $20 billion, with initial employment set at 400 people. While securing 3.2GW at a single site, the plan also addresses how concerns over electricity rates and water use will be built into agreements with the local community.
3.2GW Represents About 15% of the State's Power Supply
Project Camellia's 3.2GW figure equals 3,200MW. According to March 2026 materials from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), Georgia Power operates 22,000MW of generating capacity within the state. Generating capacity and a data center's contracted capacity are not directly comparable metrics, but a simple scale comparison puts the figure at roughly 15%.
Compared with the "initial 10GW" computing infrastructure target that OpenAI outlined in May 2026, Project Camellia alone accounts for nearly a third of that goal. However, the company has not disclosed whether this site falls inside or outside that initial 10GW figure. What has been confirmed is not that 3.2GW will come online all at once. Rather, the plan is to sign a supply agreement with Georgia Power and build up capacity over five years.
The planned site is the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, land already zoned for industrial use. According to the county's announcement, the Hub is a 2,600-acre logistics campus that, prior to Project Camellia, had been slated for warehouse and logistics facility development. OpenAI states that converting the site to a data center will result in lower post-completion traffic volume and water use compared with using the same land for warehousing.
Design and Funding Will Determine Whether 2028 Holds
2028 does not mark full completion. Project Camellia's FAQ states that initial capacity may come online that year, while the final scale and timeline will depend on permitting and infrastructure development. Financing, construction, and community discussions are also still underway. OpenAI itself acknowledges that much work remains, from site planning to operational structure.
The companies that will handle construction and operations have not yet been determined. OpenAI will lead the design and development, but partners to build and operate the campus will be selected through competitive bidding. The number of buildings and the semiconductors to be deployed have not been disclosed. Capacity and funding structure for each phase also remain unpublished, and the $20 billion figure represents planned investment rather than the value of completed assets.
Regulatory procedures also remain for the power agreement. While Project Camellia intends to contract with Georgia Power, the final agreement will require PSC approval. The 3.2GW figure is the capacity OpenAI aims to secure at completion, not current power consumption. Losing sight of this distinction risks conflating the scale of the announcement with its stage of execution.
Public Data on Water and Power
OpenAI will use a closed-loop cooling system. Rather than continuously drawing in and discharging water, the design circulates water much like a car radiator. The company expects ongoing water use after completion to be comparable to that of a typical workplace with a similar number of employees, and states that cooling will not depend on the local public water supply.
On the power side, the company has outlined a design that reduces the data center's own consumption before impacts reach residential customers during periods of high demand or grid strain. In January 2025, the PSC approved rules requiring new large-load customers exceeding 100MW to bear the costs of dedicated equipment as well as generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure, and to provide long-term contracts and financial guarantees. OpenAI states it will pay the full costs of necessary infrastructure and electric service in accordance with this framework.
However, the annual water intake for the closed-loop system, along with the trigger conditions and scale of demand reduction, have not yet been disclosed. OpenAI has committed to publishing power and water usage data and conducting independent third-party audits annually. The effectiveness of this commitment will be measurable not by post-completion impressions but by the published usage figures and audit metrics.
Jobs Starting at 400 and Community Contributions
The joint announcement from Effingham County states that Project Camellia will initially create 400 full-time jobs. Project Camellia projects that this figure will grow to over 1,000 once the site is fully built out, with construction expected to generate thousands of jobs for electricians, facility operators, and others. If the $20 billion investment and job creation proceed as planned, OpenAI expects to become the largest taxpayer in the county.
Separate from tax revenue, OpenAI will contribute $80 million to a community fund over the course of the project. This funding is intended to support schools, healthcare, and public safety, as well as housing and job training. The allocation will be determined through discussions with the community. In addition, the company will provide Codex credits to eligible students statewide, worth $100 per student, for a total of up to $71 million.
Specific commitments will be documented in a forthcoming "Georgia Community Compact." Starting with a public briefing on July 23, 2026, the company plans to gather input from residents, schools, and businesses to finalize its commitments and evaluation methods. The specific scope of the annual audits has not yet been announced. Once it becomes clear whether initial capacity can be brought online in 2028, and once power and water usage data along with the Community Compact's evaluation criteria are published, it will become possible to track the benefits and burdens of the 3.2GW project using the same yardstick.