SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle are turning a former auto manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio into a proving ground for what the consortium describes as “an advanced data center design.” The project is part of a sweeping expansion of the Stargate AI initiative, which added five new US data center locations on September 23 and pushed the venture’s total investment ambitions toward $500 billion.
That’s not a typo. Half a trillion dollars aimed at building the physical backbone for artificial intelligence, with a target of 10 GW in total energy capacity.
Five new sites, one very big bet
The September expansion brought five additional Stargate locations into the fold. New sites span Shackelford County in Texas, Dona Ana County in New Mexico, Milam County in Texas, the Lordstown facility in Ohio, and one undisclosed location.
Together, these sites push the initiative’s planned capacity to nearly 7 GW. The Lordstown project is particularly notable because SoftBank is leading the effort there, repurposing a former auto plant that was previously associated with Foxconn. Operations at the Ohio site are targeted for 2026.
