Nvidia is investing $1.5 billion in SB Energy, a data center and power developer backed by SoftBank and OpenAI, as the chipmaker deepens its role in building the infrastructure required to support the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
The investment, announced Monday, will make Nvidia the exclusive provider of compute infrastructure for OpenAI’s planned Ports-Pike data center near Cincinnati, Ohio. Nvidia will also extend up to $105 billion in credit to support construction of the facility, according to regulatory filings.
Massive AI Infrastructure Project
The Ports-Pike facility is expected to begin at 4.25 gigawatts of capacity and could eventually scale to 8 gigawatts, underscoring the enormous power requirements of next-generation AI systems.
SB Energy’s existing investors include SoftBank and OpenAI. SoftBank previously owned about $5.8 billion worth of Nvidia shares but sold its entire position in November to generate capital for other artificial intelligence investments.
The partnership highlights the increasingly interconnected roles of chipmakers, technology companies, investors and energy developers as the AI boom drives demand for large-scale computing infrastructure.
$33 Billion Power Plant Planned
To support the data center, SB Energy plans to construct a 9.2-gigawatt natural gas power plant at the site. The land is owned by the US Department of Energy and has historical significance, having previously been used to enrich uranium for the US nuclear arsenal and Navy submarines.
The power facility is expected to cost around $33 billion. Rising construction expenses have contributed to the steep price tag, with the cost of developing natural gas power plants increasing sharply in recent years amid growing electricity demand from data centers.
Natural Gas Demand Adds Pressure
The scale of the project also highlights a growing challenge for the AI industry: securing reliable power while keeping energy costs under control.
As SoftBank Energy and other developers build large natural gas facilities to meet data center demand, they could increasingly compete with export markets for fuel supplies. Analysts have warned that this convergence of rising domestic consumption and international demand could put significant upward pressure on natural gas prices in some parts of the United States.
Nvidia’s investment therefore extends beyond chips and computing, placing the company deeper into the broader infrastructure ecosystem needed to power the next phase of AI growth.
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