OpenAI's latest proposal shows it's very aware that data centers are unpopular

OpenAI on Wednesday unveiled plans for a $20 billion data center campus in rural Effingham County, Georgia, and pledged to address community concerns that have stalled similar projects nationwide. The company said it has been meeting with state and local officials, community leaders and schools to gather feedback and will hold a public open house on Thursday. The ChatGPT maker said the 1,400-acre Project Camellia will require 3.2 gigawatts of power and be built in phases between 2028 and 2032. OpenAI said it contracted with Georgia Power to deliver electricity and that local residents would not see higher electricity bills because the company will pay the full cost of required infrastructure. The facility will use a closed-loop water system resulting in minimal water use and is designed to reduce power consumption before residential customers are affected during high demand. OpenAI pledged $80 million in community benefits over the life of the project and up to $71 million in credits for its Codex AI coding tool for eligible Georgia college and technical school students. An independent firm will conduct annual audits of the commitments. Effingham County Commissioner Jamie DeLoach said the project uses minimal water, will not increase energy costs for residents and will generate new tax revenue for schools. The announcement comes as data center proposals face growing opposition across the U.S. Research project Data Center Watch said at least 75 proposals worth an estimated $130 billion were delayed or blocked in the first three months of 2026 due to local opposition. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged earlier this year that AI is not very popular in the U.S. right now.