OpenAI in talks to lease 10-gigawatt Ohio data center campus with potential Nvidia financial backing

OpenAI is negotiating to lease a proposed data center campus on federal land in southern Ohio to be developed by SB Energy (a SoftBank unit), with a 20-year lease and payments starting once operations begin; the first phase is expected in 2028.

The campus could cost at least $500 billion to build based on current prices for chips, labour, power and other inputs. Nvidia is expected to supply hardware and provide a financial guarantee for OpenAI's lease and SB Energy's financing.

Earlier this year, OpenAI paused its proposed 'Stargate' data centre project in the UK, citing regulatory hurdles and high energy costs.