The project, named Lighthouse, will include four advanced data centres providing nearly a gigawatt of computing power, with construction set to be completed in 2028.

According to the companies, the project will create over 4,000 construction jobs, most of them union positions and more than 1,000 permanent jobs once operational.

Additionally, the Lighthouse campus will feature 100% zero-emission energy, water-positive cooling systems and efforts to protect local ecosystems.

Only about 500 of the site’s 672 acres will be developed, with the rest preserved as natural space, with Vantage Data Centers planning to seek LEED certification for the project.

The project is expected to contribute $2.7 billion to the regional GDP. 

Meanwhile, Vantage will invest at least $175 million in local infrastructure upgrades, including water, sewer and power systems. It has also pledged to cover the full cost of power infrastructure to prevent electricity rate increases for local customers.

OpenAI VP of industrial compute, Peter Hoeschele, said: “Expanding Stargate to Wisconsin is another major step toward building the infrastructure that will help ensure everyone can benefit from AI.

“This project will create good jobs, advance zero-emission energy and boost the local economy-all while expanding capacity without raising rates for local consumers. We’re grateful to our partners at Oracle, Vantage and We Energies, as well as the many manufacturers, builders and suppliers across the region, for helping bring this ambitious vision to life.”

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure EVP Mahesh Thiagarajan continued: “We’re pleased to work with Vantage Data Centers as we continue to rapidly expand our cloud capacity to meet the growing demand for AI.

“Oracle’s highly performant, secure and cost-effective AI infrastructure is fuelling a new era of innovation that will fortify American leadership in AI worldwide.”

Vantage Data Centers president of North America, Dana Adams, concluded: “As demand for data centres expands beyond traditional hubs, the upper Midwest has become a critical and strategic market for Vantage Data Centers and our customers.

“Our investment in Wisconsin reflects the area’s strong foundation for digital growth to support sustainable AI innovation at scale. Vantage is committed to being a good neighbor and is prioritising investing in sustainable energy, minimising local impact and partnering closely with the community to be an economic driver for the state.”

Related stories

Nvidia and OpenAI sign $100bn deal to power 10GW of AI data centres

OpenAI poaches Apple’s director of data centre engineering