USA, Ohio: A new $33 B project, the PORTS Technology Campus, is planned in southern Ohio, combining a massive natural-gas power plant with the world’s largest AI data centre. The facility will be owned by the US government but funded by the Japanese government.

The power plant is expected to generate 9.2 GW of electricity, enough to supply more than half of Ohio’s daily power needs and will consume roughly one‑third of the state’s daily natural-gas output. While Japan is providing the capital, analysts say its involvement is likely political rather than economic, helping foster cooperation with the U.S. administration.

“Without US pressure, Japan’s government would not get involved,” said Greg Auclair, a statistician at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “From its perspective, the financial equation is unfavorable, and its taxpayers do not benefit from the facility.”

Jessica Ryan, spokesperson for Japanese tech firm SoftBank, confirmed that Japan is investing in the project while the US builds and owns the infrastructure. The collaboration aims to strengthen bilateral ties while advancing cutting-edge technology and energy infrastructure.

The campus marks a rare case of the federal government directly owning a fossil-fuel power plant in decades, reflecting growing interest in combining large-scale energy production with high-tech computing facilities. The facility is expected to play a major role in meeting regional energy demand and supporting AI operations on a scale never seen in the United States.

Source: Cleveland.com

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#AI data centre#Japanese investment#natural gas energy#Ohio power plant#PORTS Technology Campus#SoftBank#US Government

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