EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. — ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced they would build a new project in south Georgia.
Georgia Power, who is providing the power for the planned facility, said in a release that OpenAI’s new data facility will be in Effingham County, less than an hour from Savannah.
Georgia Power said the project is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to Georgia and billions of dollars of local investment to the region.
OpenAI shared a similar sentiment in their own announcement on the facility.
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“We appreciate the leadership and thoughtfulness of the OpenAI team as they prepare to bring significant investment and cutting-edge technology to Georgia,” Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president of Strategic Growth for Georgia Power, said in a statement in part. “Companies like OpenAI are making real commitments when it comes to responsible operation and development and demonstrating the benefits that these facilities can bring to Georgia communities. We’re excited to work with OpenAI, Effingham County and local partners on this significant project.”
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OpenAI announced the creation of Project Camellia would begin development in 2028 and finish in 2032, bringing the company a 3.2 gigawatt power facility to Georgia.
The announcement means OpenAI is the latest in a growing group of companies developing data centers in the Peach State, including Google, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and others.
OpenAI said the project will provide $80 million in community benefits and $71 million in Codex credits for eligible Georgia college, community college and technical students. Codex is OpenAI’s agentic coding tool inside of the ChatGPT platform, allowing users to build software and complete other technical projects.
Students who qualify can receive $100 credits through their ChatGPT accounts to extend the use of Codex.
The company’s $80 million investment in the area is aimed at improving community, with “benefits over the life of the project, informed by the community and directed toward local priorities such as schools, public safety, health care, utilities, workforce training, housing, veterans’ services, and support for small businesses and working families.”
OpenAI said this investment was separate from the projected tax revenue and Codex credits.
“We will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue and expect to be the largest taxpayer in the county,” OpenAI said in a statement. “The project will create thousands of construction and permanent on-site jobs and prioritize local contractors and businesses.”
As far as costs, the Project Camellia proposal site by OpenAI says the project will not make power bills go up for other customers.
“Georgia families will not subsidize this project. OpenAI will pay the full cost of the infrastructure and electric-service costs required to serve it. Under Georgia Public Service Commission rules, those costs cannot be passed on to existing ratepayers,” the company said.
Water use is also projected to be minimally impactive due to a closed-loop system design, OpenAI said.
OpenAI said it will host a public open house at the Effingham County College and Career Academy on Thursday at 6 p.m.
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