Project Camellia OpenAI
Project Camellia (OpenAI Data Center)
OpenAI. Approved, 3200 MW
OpenAI's roughly 20 billion dollar, 3.2 gigawatt Project Camellia data center campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub near Rincon in Effingham County remains approved; Georgia PSC staff approved the underlying Georgia Power supply contract on August 27, 2026, and the site's existing industrial zoning already covers it. Two 2026 lawsuits, filed September 2 and September 21-22 in Effingham County Superior Court, challenge Ordinance 2026-352, the August 4, 2026 zoning amendment that allowed the project, with plaintiffs alleging the county skipped legally required public hearings before the planning board and county commission; neither suit has produced a stay or injunction. Effingham County is separately weighing stricter conditional use rules for future industrial and data center projects, including a proposed ban on on-site gas power generation, with commissioners scheduled to take up a possible moratorium at an October 6, 2026 meeting whose outcome could not be confirmed from available reporting.
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- Status
- Approved
- Operator
- OpenAI
- Applicant on record
- OpenAI
- Location
- Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, Rincon, Effingham County, GA (approximate, city center)
- Size
- 3200 MW, 1400 acres
- Cooling
- Not reported
- Utility
- Georgia Power
- First reported
- 2026-07
- Last updated
- October 12, 2026
What happens next
Still to come: permits and construction. Builders do not always announce a construction start date in advance.
Sources
- New lawsuit alleges unfair secrecy around Effingham data center, Georgia Recorder, 2026-09-21
- Georgia group sues over OpenAI data center deal in Effingham County, WTOC, 2026-09-21
- Georgia Power deal to power OpenAI data center near Savannah is approved, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2026-08
- PSC boosts safeguards in Georgia Power's massive contract with OpenAI, The Current, 2026-08-27
- $20 billion OpenAI data center to open in Effingham County, The Current, 2026-07-22
- Citizen-led lawsuit challenges zoning for OpenAI Georgia data center, The Current, 2026-09-03
- Effingham County postpones OpenAI data center site plan review, The Current, 2026-09-14
- Effingham County considers strict data center limits, WTOC, 2026-09-16
- Effingham County residents sue county over data center zoning ordinance, demand transparency, WTOC, 2026-09-03
What it would mean nearby
The cooling design has not been reported. If it uses evaporative cooling, a 3200 MW facility would draw roughly 10.1 million to 36.5 million gallons of water a day, about what 116,700 households use.
Base rate freeze through 2028 (docket 44280) holds base rates flat from July 2025. Fuel and storm riders are separate and can still move. Real-time pricing revenue credit and cost allocation review (docket 57171) is pending before the commission without a published residential figure yet. 2026 fuel and storm cost settlement (docket 44280, 56765) takes about $4.04 a month off a typical bill from June 2026.
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Common questions
Where is the Project Camellia (OpenAI Data Center)?
It is in Rincon, Effingham County, GA.
Has the Project Camellia (OpenAI Data Center) been approved?
Yes, it has been approved.
How big is the Project Camellia (OpenAI Data Center)?
Reported size: 3200 MW, 1400 acres.
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