Ohio's Data Center Transformation
Former Cold War Nuclear Site in Southern Ohio Planned for World's Largest Data Center
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The U.S. Department of Energy has partnered with SoftBank — a Japanese investment giant — to build what it calls the "world's largest artificial intelligence data center" on a Cold War nuclear site in southern Ohio, according to The Center Square. The project, known as the PORTS Technology Campus, will sit on 3,777 acres near Piketon, carry a price tag of over $60 billion, and run on 10 gigawatts of computing power.
But despite the project's staggering scale, local officials say they were largely left out of the conversation. "I wasn't privy to these discussions," Portsmouth Mayor Charlotte Gordon told The Center Square. "I started calling people I thought should know and they didn't know."
A Cold War Nuclear Site Gets a New Life
The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant ran from 1952 to 2001, enriching uranium for America's nuclear weapons program. After it shut down, the site became an economic void in Appalachian Ohio. Decades of cleanup followed. Now, the same federal land is being handed over for a high-tech makeover, according to The Center Square.
The site is a rare fit for a "hyperscale" data center — tech jargon for an enormous computing complex. It already connects to a 765-kilovolt power grid. It can handle 40 million gallons of water per day for cooling. It is zoned for heavy industrial use. Few other sites in America check all those boxes.
SoftBank and the U.S. Strike a $60 Billion Deal
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son joined U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a groundbreaking ceremony on March 20, 2026. Wright said the project would help "ensure the United States wins the AI race." Lutnick was more blunt, saying, "We're operating in Trump time... in five words, that explains how this came together in months," according to The Center Square.
Japan is funding $33.3 billion of the total $60-plus billion investment as part of a U.S.-Japan trade agreement. The campus will be powered by a 9.2-gigawatt on-site natural gas plant — roughly equal to nine nuclear reactors. Utility company AEP Ohio will spend $4.2 billion upgrading the regional power grid, with developers — not ratepayers — footing that bill, according to The Center Square.
Thousands of Jobs Promised, But Local Leaders Were Kept in the Dark
The project promises up to 35,000 construction jobs at peak and 2,500 permanent positions. SoftBank has also pledged $40 million to local schools and medical infrastructure. A recruitment center opened in Piketon in May 2026 to start hiring for the first 4,000 construction roles, according to The Center Square. Ohio State Senator Shane Wilkin called it a "generational change" for a region that "won the Cold War" but struggled ever since.
Yet local officials say they were bypassed. Steve Shepherd, the executive director of the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative — the agency responsible for the land transfer — told reporters, "We are not in a position to make any statements at this time," according to The Center Square. Non-disclosure agreements appear to have kept key details away from local government throughout the process.
Energy Concerns and Political Pushback Cloud the Outlook
The 9.2-gigawatt gas plant has drawn scrutiny from energy analysts, who warn it may face serious hurdles around gas pipeline capacity and environmental permits. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine paused new data center tax breaks in May 2026 to study statewide energy impacts. The PORTS project is exempt from that pause — for now — according to The Center Square.
Some local critics frame the deal as an extraction of Appalachian resources — land and gas — for profits that flow to Silicon Valley and Tokyo. For the 2,200 residents of Piketon, the stakes are personal. They have lived with the legacy of radioactive contamination from the old nuclear plant for decades. Whether the promised jobs go to locals or outside contractors remains an open question.
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