Data center profile · Effingham County, Georgia

Project Camellia (OpenAI Effingham County)

Data center campus planned by OpenAI in Effingham County, Georgia, on grid power; about 2.6 GW of IT capacity planned.

Power deal signed, no local approval yet. An electric service agreement is on record. Newest record Sept. 2026.
The campus, Lower-resolution satellite image, Oct. 14, 2026
3,200 MW
utility load on file
facility power, not split into IT capacity
Georgia Power
serving utility
Grid power
1,400
acres in the site
4
data center buildings planned
OperatorOpenAI
CustomerOpenAI
Planned IT capacity2.6 GW at full build-out (our estimate from the company or utility power figure)
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2028 (range 2027 to 2031).
The site

The site from above

Satellite overview
Lower-resolution satellite image, Oct. 14, 2026.
Power

Power and the grid

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

  1. Aug. 26, 2026
    Utility MW on record
Permits

Permits checklist

5 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs, and what we found.

Risks

What could slow it down

Lawsuits

2 cases on record

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. July 22, 2026
    Site Project first appears in the public record
  2. Sept. 2, 2026
    Legal A resident lawsuit filed Sept. 2, 2026 in Effingham County Superior Court challenges the county's data center ordinance that made data. Company · Sept. 2026
  3. Sept. 21, 2026
    Legal A second lawsuit filed Sept. 21, 2026 by One Hundred Miles and residents against the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA) challenges open-meetings and records compliance. News report · Sept. 2026
Construction activity

Since Oct. 2026: 1 satellite capture. Satellite · Oct. 2026

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners and developers
  • Octans GA, developer
Customers
  • OpenAI, tenant
Government
  • Effingham County Industrial Development Authority, public agency
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

21 records from 8 documents

Drawn from news reports, company statements, public and commercial datasets and satellite captures, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 3Company 3Dataset 1Satellite 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (3)
  • Project status: announced
    “Today, Georgia Power announced that its contract to serve OpenAI's new project in Effingham County has been approved”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility service: 3,200 MW
    “The company's contract with OpenAI was filed with the Georgia PSC in July and includes 3,200 megawatts (MW) of new demand”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility: Georgia Power
    “Georgia Power announced that its contract to serve OpenAI's new project in Effingham County has been approved”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
Money and contracts (4)
  • County code: 13103
    “its contract to serve OpenAI's new project in Effingham County has been approved”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
  • power supply contract: approved
    “OpenAI will pay the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve it and has committed up to 1,000 MW of flexible demand response”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
  • land sale: closed
    “the sale of the property to Octans Ga. LLC, the listed developer for Project Camellia”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • tax abatement: approved
    “The package provides OpenAI with a 50% property tax abatement for 15 years”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
Legal (2)
  • A second lawsuit filed Sept. 21, 2026 by One Hundred Miles and residents against ECIDA challenges open-meetings and records compliance and the tax abatement.
    “One Hundred Miles joined three Effingham County residents in the suit filed Monday in Effingham County Superior Court”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • A resident lawsuit filed Sept. 2, 2026 in Effingham County Superior Court challenges the county's data center ordinance (Ordinance 2026-352) that made data centers a by-right use.
    “filed suit on September 2, 2026, against Effingham County, Georgia, to overturn the County's new 'data center ordinance'”
    Company · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (5)
  • Announced: July 22, 2026
    “Project Camellia is a long-term AI infrastructure project that OpenAI is designing and developing in Effingham County”
    Company · July 2026 · grade A
  • Building count: 4 buildings
    “The submitted form describes four data center buildings encompassing about 101 acres”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • The Development of Regional Impact review released Sept. 16, 2026 (Coastal Regional Commission) covers the site, which includes wetlands and a state-protected plant species.
    “The Development of Regional Impact (DRI) review was released on September 16, 2026”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Campus name: Project Camellia
    “OpenAI, which announced its 1,400-acre Project Camellia data center in Effingham County last month”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • Site acreage: 1400 acres
    “announced its 1,400-acre Project Camellia data center in Effingham County”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C

Imagery and records: Satellite imagery: Sentinel-2 (ESA Copernicus).