The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Commerce have partnered with SoftBank and American Electric Power to launch a massive 10-gigawatt data center and energy infrastructure project in southern Ohio.
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The initiative aims to redevelop federal land while significantly expanding power generation and transmission capacity to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. The project also aligns with broader U.S.-Japan investment frameworks, including billions of dollars earmarked for energy and industrial development.
At the core of the development is a $4.2 billion transmission upgrade program led by SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary, in collaboration with AEP Ohio. These upgrades are designed to increase grid capacity and integrate new energy generation without raising costs for consumers, in line with federal policy commitments.
The project will be anchored at the Portsmouth Site in Pike County, where new power infrastructure totaling 10 GW will be developed. Approximately 9.2 GW of this capacity is expected to come from natural gas, supporting both the data center complex and the regional electricity grid.
“I’m pleased to be working with our partners at SoftBank and AEP Ohio on this important project. By bringing new power online and upgrading our existing infrastructure, this investment supports the AI boom and cutting-edge technologies while strengthening our energy system and helping keep costs down for the American people,” said Chris Wright.
Executives and policymakers emphasized the importance of collaboration in enabling a project of this scale. Masayoshi Son highlighted the role of the development in strengthening U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
“Our partnership with the Department of Energy strengthens America’s AI leadership, secures the energy and compute needed for the future, and powers the next era of innovation for the United States, AI will transform every industry, and the PORTS Technology Campus will help deliver the next-generation infrastructure needed to unlock those breakthroughs.”
Bill Fehrman added, “If it were not for the partnership between all parties – the Administration, SoftBank and our team – this type of investment would not be possible. This partnership unlocks billions of dollars of electric transmission infrastructure, all without increasing customer rates.”
The project is also tied to broader economic and trade strategies supported by Donald Trump’s administration, including commitments to protect ratepayers from bearing infrastructure costs.
Howard Lutnick connected the initiative to international investment flows, stating, “Our Japanese partnership is a direct result of President Trump’s America First trade policies, Japan has committed to invest US$ 550 billion across America. With this historic trade deal we are reindustrializing the country through critical projects like this US$ 33 billion dollar power project in Portsmouth, Ohio with additional mega projects in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.”
Meanwhile, Tim Walsh emphasized the regional benefits, saying, “By capitalizing on investments in America and federal land assets, the partnership will safely advance restoration and revitalization of the Portsmouth site with enormous economic benefit to the region and the country.”
Originally reported by Conor McNevin in W. Media.
