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OpenAI's Georgia Campus Faces Scrutiny
Coverage from Georgia Recorder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and others
OpenAI plans Project Camellia, a roughly $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County near Savannah, with Georgia Power set to supply up to 3.
2 gigawatts in phases from 2028 to 2032. The Georgia Public Service Commission approved the power contract, which includes up to 1 gigawatt of flexible demand response; OpenAI says it will cover the project's infrastructure costs and use closed-loop cooling. Residents and policymakers continue to seek clarity on electricity costs, water, noise, community commitments, and remaining reviews, as Georgia debates how to regulate new data centers.
The main new detail is OpenAI’s planned $80 million community fund. The current account also highlights disagreement over whether data center development should be paused or governed through local decisions and stronger requirements.
The Georgia Public Service Commission has now approved the power contract, moving Project Camellia beyond proposed utility review while county and other state reviews remain. The story is increasingly framed around balancing projected economic benefits against unresolved oversight and community concerns.
The main update is a tentative construction start as early as 2027, adding a nearer-term development horizon to a project previously described mainly as remaining in planning and review. The current version otherwise largely confirms the existing account while identifying the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and Gov. Brian Kemp as more prominent participants.
The story has broadened from a contested local project into a statewide policy test, with Savannah adopting a temporary data-center moratorium. The campus remains preconstruction, and some reports now place full buildout as late as 2034.
Project Camellia has moved beyond a proposal into formal utility approval and preliminary county negotiations, while opposition has broadened into a statewide policy debate.
OpenAI is planning Project Camellia, a multibillion-dollar data center campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub near Rincon, Georgia. The project is expected to receive up to 3.2 gigawatts from Georgia Power in phases beginning around 2028, while local officials consider tax incentives and community benefits. Its scale has prompted regulatory review and public concern over electricity costs, water use, transparency, environmental effects, and whether customers or taxpayers could bear project-related costs.