OpenAI’s Georgia “Project Camellia” locks in 3.2 gigawatts through 2032
OpenAI signed a deal with Georgia Power for 3.2 gigawatts of data-center power delivered in phases from 2028 to 2032, promising residents' rates won't rise to pay for it.
In Brief
- OpenAI contracted Georgia Power for 3.2 gigawatts of data-center electricity, phased in from 2028 to 2032.
- The company says residents’ rates won’t rise and the project is entirely privately funded.
- Local reporting puts the campus at roughly $20 billion with up to 1,000 permanent jobs.
OpenAI is planting its flag in the coastal Georgia pines. The company said Tuesday it will build “Project Camellia,” a long-term data-center project in Effingham County near Savannah, supplied by a contract with Georgia Power for 3.2 gigawatts of power delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032.
The pledge is framed as a community deal, not just a power purchase. In its own announcement, OpenAI says plainly that “electricity rates will not go up for residents because of this project,” arguing the cost is borne entirely by the company under Public Service Commission rules that block passing infrastructure costs to existing ratepayers.
OpenAI also says the site will use a closed-loop water cooling system—essentially a car-radiator loop that recirculates water—to keep ongoing withdrawals low, a direct answer to the water-use criticism that has fueled data-center protests across the U.S. The company has so far released only vague consumption figures, so the claim will get scrutiny from locals.
What Project Camellia’s data center power deal includes
The headline number is 3.2 gigawatts, enough to power a mid-sized city, delivered across roughly four years. OpenAI says it will also provide up to 1,000 MW of flexible demand response, letting Georgia Power trim delivery to the site during peak grid stress—a design choice meant to keep the project from crowding out residential customers when demand spikes.
Community commitments accompany the power. OpenAI pledged $80 million for area schools, healthcare, and housing, plus up to $71 million in Codex credits for Georgia students. Critics will note the credits also onboard a young user base onto OpenAI’s platform early, a pattern Anthropic and others have run as well.
The campus scale is larger than the power line alone suggests. Local reporting describes a roughly $20 billion, 1,400-acre site in Rincon expected to create up to 1,000 permanent jobs, which county leaders say could eliminate homestead property taxes.
Why Georgia said yes to the data center
Effingham County sits inside the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, pre-zoned warehouse territory that OpenAI says will generate less traffic and water use than a conventional warehouse on the same land while producing stronger long-term tax revenue. That framing is the polite version of a harder argument playing out nationwide: who pays for the AI buildout.
Georgia is a battleground for it. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp met OpenAI representatives in May as residents rallied against power- and water-hungry data centers, according to local reporting on the meeting. The company’s bet is that a privately funded, rate-neutral project with community cash eases the opposition.
Whether voters buy it depends on execution, not promises. As AI infrastructure spending scales into the hundreds of billions, Camellia is a template—and a test of whether hyperscale builds can land in residential counties without blowing up the bill.
FAQ
How much power did OpenAI secure in Georgia?
3.2 gigawatts, delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032 under a contract with Georgia Power.
Will Georgia residents pay for it?
OpenAI says no—rates won’t rise for existing customers and the project is privately funded.
How big is the campus?
Local reporting describes a roughly $20 billion, 1,400-acre site expected to employ up to 1,000 people permanently.
