• Project Camellia in Effingham County represents at least US$20bn in planned investment, with power delivery phased from 2028 to 2032
• The company says it will fund the infrastructure needed to serve the site, while financing, construction phasing and the operating model remain unfinished
The fact
OpenAI is developing Project Camellia at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Effingham County, Georgia. The company has contracted with Georgia Power for 3.2GW of electricity, with delivery planned in phases from 2028 to 2032. Effingham County said the project represents at least US$20 billion in planned capital investment; OpenAI expects total spending to exceed US$30 billion if the campus reaches full scale.
The project remains at the planning stage, with its infrastructure, phasing, design, financing and operating model still to be finalised. OpenAI said it would cover the infrastructure and electricity-service costs needed to supply the site. The facility is designed to reduce power use during peak periods and use closed-loop cooling. The company has also pledged US$80 million in community benefits, with independent audits planned each year.
The assessment
The Georgia Power agreement gives OpenAI a timetable for when electricity could be delivered to Project Camellia, but the company must still match each construction phase to the power available between 2028 and 2032. OpenAI also says the campus would reduce its electricity use during periods of grid stress, meaning the project's design must cover not only how much power the site receives but also when and how its load can be cut.
Unlike the Stargate venture, where Oracle and SoftBank hold the hardware, Project Camellia is OpenAI's first independently developed data-centre project. The company must define the size and timing of each phase, arrange financing and identify who will build and operate the campus. Those decisions will determine how the contracted electricity becomes usable capacity.
For BTW readers, the shift to independent development means OpenAI now carries the full execution risk—siting, power negotiation, construction and operations—rather than sharing it with infrastructure partners.
What to watch
Watch for OpenAI to disclose the first-phase capacity, financing structure and construction timetable for Project Camellia. Georgia Power filings may provide details on the infrastructure needed to deliver the contracted 3.2GW, while operating terms would clarify how the campus is expected to reduce demand during periods of grid stress.