Next steps for Effingham County’s OpenAI data center

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - While OpenAI’s planned $20 billion data center has cleared its initial hurdles through the county’s development authority, local leaders stress a rigorous municipal and state review process remains before construction can begin on the project.

County Commission Chairman Damon Rahn explained after Monday night commission meeting that the massive project, known as Project Camellia, was initially launched and routed through the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), which operates as an independent constitutional body in charge of early economic negotiations.

“When the IDA approached us about the project, and they don’t disclose what that project is, and only ask for what we can provide to them, such as water and sewage services. So, what capacity can we serve on that area,” Rahn said.

Rahn admits the confidentiality hits the public trust, but says there’s a reason.

“They do hold a lot of power and they can sign those NDA’s because there could be an example of a publicly traded company for example that wanted to move here. With the Federal Trade Commission, you can’t announce things because you could affect the stock market. So those are put in place, but those mechanisms aren’t always the most acceptable or by the public because it doesn’t look like there’s a disclosure in here,” Rahn said.

According to a process summary released by the county, the extensive legal roadmap begins with zoning verifications and a state-level traffic and infrastructure audit, known as a Development of Regional Impact review. This state-level audit is designed to ensure the massive campus does not overwhelm neighborhood roads or the local electrical grid.

A critical water protection agreement will also be required. The contract mandates that OpenAI’s closed-loop cooling systems must draw only from surface rivers—such as local surface water sources—and not from underground wells or the Floridan aquifer, protecting the county’s primary source of drinking water.

From there, developers must submit land disturbance applications to monitor soil erosion and manage stormwater runoff, while county departments launch detailed site plan reviews to enforce vegetative buffers and protect sensitive local wetlands. The final stretch of the approval process requires strict building code audits, fire safety inspections, and regular construction checks before the facility can secure a final Certificate of Occupancy.

County leaders emphasize that the completed project will bring historic financial support to the region, pumping an estimated $37 million a year into the local school district. The massive influx of new tax revenue is also designed to help the county eventually eliminate homestead property taxes, saving the average homeowner approximately $1,000.00 annually.

Effingham County is encouraging residents to stay informed on each stage of the review process. Neighbors can visit the Effingham County government website or Facebook page to sign up for email and text alerts, or track regular project updates directly at Projectcamellia.com and Effinghamgateway.com.