At a glance
- Approval would let OpenAI build four data center facilities and related infrastructure at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, a 2,600-acre campus.
- OpenAI has contracted 3.2GW from Georgia Power, with first delivery expected between 2028 and 2032.
- For investors underwriting the campus, the Nov. 4 comment deadline is the first permitting milestone to clear before that power starts flowing.
OpenAI applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to fill 72 acres of wetlands at its Effingham County, Georgia, data center site, according to Data Center Dynamics, citing the Savannah Morning News.
Approval would let OpenAI build four data center facilities and related infrastructure at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, a 2,600-acre campus. The project, called Camellia, is planned at 4.4 million square feet.
OpenAI has contracted 3.2GW from Georgia Power, with first delivery expected between 2028 and 2032.
For investors underwriting the campus, the Nov. 4 comment deadline is the first permitting milestone to clear before that power starts flowing.
Federal approval is not automatic. Under the Clean Water Act, a developer needs a Corps permit to destroy or disturb wetlands, and the permit is granted only if the site is the “Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative.” OpenAI says its plan preserves 70% of the wetlands within the project site, including a larger, contiguous strand.
OpenAI says it will pay the full cost of infrastructure and electric services related to the data center and will reduce its power consumption by up to 1GW of “flexible demand response” during periods of high demand. It also says it has hired engineers to study stormwater runoff and plans stormwater infrastructure built to match the natural drainage capabilities of the existing wetlands and natural soils.
One Hundred Miles warned that building over the wetlands could worsen flooding. “That is a massive amount of impervious surface being added to an area that's bordered by two permanent creeks, and we know we have flooding issues off Dasher Creek,” said Jeff Beauvais, an activist with the conservation nonprofit One Hundred Miles, in comments reported by Data Center Dynamics.
Public comment runs through Nov. 4. One Hundred Miles is pressing OpenAI and the Corps for a public hearing where residents could question the developers in person. The open item is whether the Corps grants a hearing and how it rules on the least-damaging-alternative test.
OpenAI named Uday Ruddarraju to run compute and Stargate, replacing Sachin Katti, as Private Wealth Daily previously reported.
Reported by the Data centers & fiber desk from Data Center Dynamics and Savannah Morning News, as cited by Data Center Dynamics. Published . Corrections