OpenAI in Advanced Talks for 10-GW Ohio Data Center on Federal Land as Lawmakers Unveil Ratepayer-Protection Bill

OpenAI is in advanced negotiations to lease a proposed 10-gigawatt data center campus on federal land in Ohio, according to a report published June 10, 2026. The deal could include financial backing from Nvidia. The 10-gigawatt facility would be the largest data center development ever considered.

Potential buildout costs top $500 billion based on current prices for chips, labor, and construction materials. Under the proposed terms, OpenAI would control the chip stacks through a long-term lease and begin payments once the facility starts operations. The first phase is expected to come online in 2028.

Ten gigawatts of power equals the output of several large nuclear reactors or about 10 large gas-fired power plants running at full capacity. Each gigawatt can power roughly 700,000 to 1 million homes. The project would require dedicated power generation, substations, transmission lines, cooling infrastructure, access to water or advanced cooling systems, and phased construction over several years.

Ohio lawmakers simultaneously unveiled Substitute House Bill 646 to regulate data center buildouts in the state. The bill would create a new electric rate class for data centers so that costs of generation, transmission, and distribution are paid entirely by hyperscalers.

Senate Finance Chair Brian Chavez, Republican of Marietta and co-chair of the data center committee, said the Joint Data Center Study Committee has done its job.

He added that the legislation aims to keep ratepayers harmless and ensure data centers pay for whatever they are causing. Goldman estimates hyperscalers will spend $800 billion on data center capital expenditures this year.