OpenAI applies for federal permit to build portion of Effingham County, Texas, data center on wetlands - report
The permit would allow OpenAI to build on 72 acres of wetlands.
OpenAI wants to build part of its data center in Effingham County, Georgia, on wetlands.
According to the Savannah Morning News, OpenAI has applied for a federal permit to fill in 72 acres of wetlands at its planned data center site.
OpenAI sent its permit application to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. If the application is approved, the company could build four large data center buildings and related infrastructure on the land. The site is part of the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub, a 2,600-acre campus designed for industrial businesses.
Plans for the campus first appeared in July. The project, called Project Camelia, is expected to cover 4.4 million square feet (408,773 square meters).
OpenAI has arranged to get 3.2GW of power from Georgia Power Company. The power supply is expected to begin between 2028 and 2032. Reports at the time said the company might spend more than $30 billion on the project.
OpenAI has said it will pay all the costs for the infrastructure and electricity services connected to the data center. It also plans to reduce its electricity use by up to 1GW through a system called "flexible demand response" when demand for power is high.
The permit application has raised concerns among environmental groups. They warn that building over the wetlands could increase flooding.
"That is a massive amount of impervious surface being added to an area that's bordered by two permanent creeks, and we know we have flooding issues off Dasher Creek," said Jeff Beauvais, an activist with the conservation nonprofit One Hundred Miles.
"So for folks who are downstream, this is not going to help."
OpenAI responded by saying it has hired engineers to study how rainwater will flow across the site. The company also plans to build systems to manage stormwater. These systems are intended to match the natural ability of the existing wetlands and soils to drain water.
Wetlands do more than help control floods. They also provide important benefits to the local environment and support a variety of plants and animals. Under the Clean Water Act, developers must get a federal permit to destroy or disturb wetlands. A permit can be approved only if the chosen site is the "Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative," meaning the option that is practical and causes the least environmental harm.
OpenAI says its data center plan will preserve 70 percent of the wetlands within the project site, including a larger, connected area of wetlands.
The public can comment on the application until November 4. One Hundred Miles is trying to persuade OpenAI and the Army Corps to hold a public hearing where local residents can meet the developers and discuss the plans in person.