Building AI infrastructure with the Effingham County community
OpenAI Blog · 2026-07-22
OpenAI announces Project Camellia, a privately funded 3.2-gigawatt datacenter in Effingham County, Georgia, committing $80 million in community benefits and guaranteeing that local electricity rates will not rise as a result of the project.
Extraction
Topics: ai-infrastructuredatacenter-developmentopenaicommunity-impactenergy
Claims
- Project Camellia will source 3.2 gigawatts of power from Georgia Power Company delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032.
- OpenAI commits $80 million in community benefits directed toward schools, public safety, healthcare, workforce training, housing, and small businesses.
- Georgia Public Service Commission rules prohibit passing OpenAI's infrastructure costs to existing residential ratepayers, so electricity rates for residents will not increase.
- OpenAI will make up to $71 million in Codex credits available to eligible Georgia college, community college, and technical school students.
- An independent annual public audit will be conducted to verify adherence to project commitments.
Key quotes
Electricity rates will not go up for residents because of this project. Georgia families will not subsidize this project.
OpenAI will provide $80 million in community benefits over the life of the project, informed by the community and directed toward local priorities such as schools, public safety, health care, utilities, workforce training, housing, veterans' services, and support for small businesses and working families.