A federal cleanup program at the Department of Energy's Portsmouth Site will run through 2031, delaying the deployment of AI hardware for OpenAI and Nvidia. County records and filings show the planned 8 GW data center is spread across distinct land positions, including 2,700 acres of private farmland where a wetlands permit is pending until the end of 2026. None of these locations are ready for immediate construction despite a public groundbreaking ceremony in March 2026.
The campus consists of 17 buildings, including a third, previously unannounced former DOE parcel that has been environmentally released and requires no demolition. While the first batch of land was leased in April specifically for data center construction, the exact split of the total capacity between the sites is not yet defined. The buildout is supported by Nvidia's $105 billion in credit guarantees for the first 4.25 GW as part of SB Energy's $439 billion contracted backlog.
Key sources
- SOURCE@semianalysis_“first batch of land leased in April is specifically designated for datacenter construction”x.com
- SUPPORT@semianalysis_“DOE site... remains subject to a federal cleanup program running through 2031”x.com
- SUPPORT@semianalysis_“public groundbreaking does not mean construction has started”x.com