Nvidia backs massive OpenAI data hub in Ohio

Nvidia (NVDA) has agreed to provide up to $105 billion in conditional credit and guarantee support tied to lease and power payments for a new data center campus in Pike County, Ohio. The campus will be leased by OpenAI and is described as one of the largest planned AI infrastructure projects, structured so that OpenAI begins paying as capacity becomes available. Nvidia’s financial backing is designed to support “defined portions of lease and power payments,” rather than the entire project cost or all tenant obligations.

The guarantees include residual-value commitments intended to ensure the site retains a minimum value over time. This structure limits Nvidia’s direct exposure while still underpinning the financing required for what is envisioned as a very large-scale AI facility. The arrangement is detailed in a securities filing outlining the scale and conditional nature of the support.

The data center complex will be built at the PORTS‑Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio. SB Energy, backed by SoftBank Group, will build, own and operate the facility. OpenAI will lease capacity under a long-term, 20-year arrangement, positioning it as the anchor tenant for the site.

Nvidia will be the exclusive provider of compute infrastructure for the campus, tying the project directly to its AI chips and systems. The company’s role combines hardware supply with targeted financial guarantees, integrating it into both the technology and capital stack of the development.

Plans call for up to about 8 gigawatts of AI computing capacity at the Ohio campus. The initial phase will support 4.25 gigawatts of capacity, with an option to add a further 3.75 gigawatts. This scale would place the complex among the largest data center sites globally focused on AI workloads.

Compute capacity is expected to come online in phases beginning in 2028. The project will be built out over time, with the ramp-up of infrastructure matched to the staged availability of power and data center space. OpenAI has indicated that the development is expected to support tens of thousands of construction jobs and a multi-thousand permanent workforce once operational.

In addition to the guarantee package, Nvidia has agreed to invest $1.5 billion in SB Energy. SB Energy will develop, build, own and operate the Ohio facility that underpins the long-term lease to OpenAI. The investment further links Nvidia to the project’s developer beyond its role as compute supplier.

By pairing its financial commitment with an equity investment in the developer and exclusive rights to supply compute, Nvidia is aligning its interests with the long-term success and utilization of the campus. The combined arrangements are structured to secure long-duration infrastructure capable of hosting repeated generations of Nvidia AI hardware as the site is built out.