Savannah Business Owners Describe Changing Views on Planned Effingham County Data Center
Local business owners in Savannah, Georgia, are sharing their perspectives on OpenAI's planned $20 billion data center in Effingham County. Initially skeptical, many have seen their concerns eased through community engagement and training sessions provided by OpenAI, which also includes…
Savannah, GA, October 22, 2026 —
Some local business owners in Savannah, Georgia, say their initial skepticism about OpenAI’s planned data center in nearby Effingham County has eased following community engagement and training sessions provided by the company.
The proposed facility is valued at $20 billion, according to the available information. The business owners’ perspectives reflect a shift from early concerns, though the specific issues they raised and the number of people who participated were not provided.
OpenAI’s engagement efforts include training sessions, but details about their subject matter, audience, timing or format were not provided. The company also includes a $2 million grant for trails at Atlas Park as part of the information shared about the project. Further details about how the grant will be administered or when the trail work might take place were not provided.
The planned data center is in Effingham County, while the business owners described in the summary are based in Savannah. The available information does not specify the project’s timeline, its permit or approval status, or whether construction has begun. It also does not provide statements from OpenAI, county officials or other community members.
The account indicates that community engagement and training have helped ease concerns for many of the business owners who shared their views. It does not establish that all local business owners support the project or that concerns have been fully resolved. More information about the concerns, the sessions and the grant would be needed to describe the range of local reactions and the project’s next steps.
Story summarized from the original created by Cam McCann on www.wtoc.com, see more information here.
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