OpenAI Nvidia discuss 10 GW Ohio AI data center lease

OpenAI is in advanced negotiations to lease a massive 10-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center campus in Pike County, Ohio, in a deal that could see chipmaker Nvidia provide a significant financial guarantee. The proposed facility, which would be among the largest of its kind, is planned for federal land previously occupied by the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a Cold War-era uranium enrichment site.

The project, with an estimated total cost of at least $500 billion, represents OpenAI's largest infrastructure commitment to date. Under the reported terms, the AI company would sign a 20-year lease, owning the computing equipment housed at the site and beginning payments once operations commence. The first phase, targeting 800 megawatts of capacity, is expected to be operational by 2028.

Nvidia's role is expected to extend beyond its traditional position as a hardware supplier. According to reports, the company is discussing providing credit support, acting as a guarantor for both OpenAI's lease obligations and the project financing arranged by the developer. This would mark a significant deepening of the strategic partnership the two firms formalized in September 2025,...