OpenAI Project Camellia: 3.2GW Georgia datacenter, $80M community benefits, $71M Codex credits for students through 2032

OpenAI announced Project Camellia, a long-term datacenter initiative in Effingham County, Georgia, with 3.2 gigawatts of power delivery phased from 2028–2032 contracted through Georgia Power Company. The facility will be situated in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub on pre-zoned industrial land and designed to generate less traffic than a conventional warehouse on the same footprint while consuming less water and generating stronger tax revenue. OpenAI commits to zero cost pass-through to residential ratepayers, with infrastructure and service costs borne by OpenAI and approval constraints under Georgia Public Service Commission rules.

Community commitments include $80 million in direct benefits over the project lifetime directed toward schools, public safety, healthcare, utilities, workforce training, housing, veterans' services, and small business support; hundreds of millions in projected state/local tax revenue with OpenAI as the largest county taxpayer; thousands of construction and permanent on-site jobs prioritizing local contractors. Additionally, OpenAI will make $71 million in Codex credits (agentic coding tool) available to eligible Georgia college, community college, and technical school students, delivering $100 per account for hands-on AI development training.

For infrastructure architects and economic development planners, the Camellia model signals OpenAI's shift from secretive buildout to public, accountable development. Annual independent audits, Georgia Community Compact documentation, and proactive power-demand reduction during peak residential usage create a governance template for large-scale AI infrastructure in energy-constrained regions. The project builds on OpenAI's existing Abilene, Texas campus and indicates sustained domestic U.S. buildout beyond original single-site assumptions.