The Daily Dig
Georgia Power announced it will serve a new OpenAI project in Effingham County, about 45 minutes outside Savannah. The company says the facility is expected to bring thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in investment to the local community.
OpenAI will cover the full cost of infrastructure and electric service needed to support the site. The agreement includes long-term energy contracts and financial assurances designed to protect other Georgia Power customers from the cost of serving the project.
The facility is expected to require approximately 3,200 megawatts of power. As part of the deal, OpenAI has agreed to provide up to 1,000 MW of flexible demand response, meaning it will reduce its power use during times of high grid demand. The release does not specify how often this would happen or how long each reduction would last. Georgia Power says this is among the largest single-facility demand response commitments in the country.
The arrangement runs under a 25-year agreement. It gives Georgia Power the ability to reduce energy delivered to the site during certain times to help support grid stability. The utility says this demand response commitment will also allow it to invest in fewer new generation resources to serve future growth, which it expects will produce long-term savings for customers.
The deal follows updated rules the Georgia Public Service Commission approved in January 2025, which govern how the utility structures agreements with large energy users. Georgia Power noted it conducts detailed reviews of large-load contracts with PSC staff, including this one. The company also pointed to broader ratepayer benefits tied to its large-load strategy, including an earlier base rate freeze and a plan to deliver $102 in annual savings for the typical residential customer starting in 2029.
Snapshot:
Client: OpenAI
Utility Partner: Georgia Power
Location: Effingham County, Georgia (approximately 45 minutes from Savannah)
Sector: AI infrastructure project
Power Requirement: Approximately 3,200 MW
Demand Response Commitment: Up to 1,000 MW
Agreement Term: 25 years
Economic Impact: Thousands of jobs; billions of dollars in investment
Cost Structure: OpenAI to pay full infrastructure and electric service costs
Regulatory Framework: Georgia PSC rules approved January 2025
Status: Announced July 22, 2026
TheJobWalk Thoughts
A 3,200 MW power requirement is a massive draw for a single site, on par with the load of a small city. No phase count, building plan, or construction sequence has been released yet, so GCs and subs should treat this as an early signal to watch, not a scope to bid against.
The cost structure is the real story for anyone doing business with Georgia Power's large-load customers. OpenAI is covering full infrastructure and electric service costs under terms built to keep those costs off other ratepayers. That's the January 2025 PSC framework playing out at serious scale, and it's a preview of what future large-load negotiations in the state will likely look like.
Thousands of jobs are tied to this project, though the release doesn't separate construction jobs from permanent operating roles or give a hiring timeline. Subs working the Savannah area should track this one closely. A load of this size doesn't get built without a substantial trade workforce, even if the details aren't public yet.
