Partnership Ensures Affordable Energy, Powers AI Future at Portsmouth Site

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, seventh from left, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick, ninth from left, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh, fifth from left, join federal and state elected officials, representatives from SB Energy, SoftBank Group, AEP Ohio, the Japan External Trade Organization New York and others to break ground at the Portsmouth Site on March 20 for a new 10-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center.

PIKETON, Ohio — SB Energy, a SoftBank Group company, announced a unique public-private partnership last week to construct the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) data center at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Portsmouth Site, and committed to build 10 gigawatts of new power generation that will connect to the local grid to prevent costs to American families.

“There’s a reason we’re here. It’s a community with strong, hardworking people,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said during an event at the site of the future PORTS Technology Campus. "This massive investment is going to create a lot of jobs, and there's going to be other industries that will come in here to be near this energy production, to be near this intelligence generation."

The partnership comes on the heels of recent announcements regarding gas-powered generation and modernization of energy infrastructure, prioritizing affordable electricity while advancing the AI race. The project is expected to generate 10,000 construction jobs and more than 2,000 permanent positions for the region.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlights the new PORTS Technology Campus to attendees of the SB Energy groundbreaking event, noting that the investment will attract other industries to the Portsmouth Site to be near the energy production and intelligence generation.

As the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleans up the site of the former uranium enrichment plant at the Portsmouth Site, the land is safely made available for reuse, aligning with the Trump administration’s executive orders, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, Unleashing American Energy, and Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.

SB Energy is leasing federal land at the site for this project, which helps fast-track development. The company also committed to helping fund EM’s accelerated environmental cleanup at the Portsmouth Site and advance revitalization efforts.

For decades, the site played a pivotal role in the nation’s security and will now be home to America’s energy dominance.

“This is referred to as the A Plant,” Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh said, referring to the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. “It will soon be referred to as the AI Plant. This is a catalyst for reindustrialization. You should be extremely proud of the role you played in history and the role you will play in the future.”

Development of the AI data center is expected to begin this year with an initial phase on 189 acres on the Portsmouth Site.

-Contributor: Sarah Marko