RINCON, Ga. — Residents attending Thursday's OpenAI open house should expect a different format than a traditional public meeting.
The event follows OpenAI's announcement that it plans to build a $20 billion, 1,400-acre data center campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Rincon. The proposed development, known as Project Camellia, would be one of the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure investments in Georgia history.
The open house is from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at Effingham College & Career Academy, 2941 Highway 21 S., Rincon, and will not include a formal presentation followed by a public comment period, as has been the format at city and county meetings.
How it works
Instead, attendees can visit up to 15 informational booths staffed by representatives from OpenAI, Effingham County, Georgia Power and other project partners. Booths will cover topics including power, water, construction, environmental stewardship, OpenAI Academy and other aspects of the proposed campus. Residents can speak directly with subject-matter experts and ask questions about the topics that interest them.
County’s role
County officials said the format reflects the project's current stage in the review process.
"We understand that residents have questions and opinions about Project Camellia, and we want everyone to know those perspectives are important to us," County Manager Tim Callanan said.
Callanan noted the proposed site is located within an existing industrial zone long designated for industrial development and that data centers are a permitted use under the county's zoning ordinance.
"As a result, the Board of Commissioners' role at this stage is limited to determining whether the submitted site plan complies with applicable local ordinances, engineering standards, and state and federal regulations — not whether the property's use should change," he said. "While we are committed to fulfilling that legal responsibility fairly and consistently, we also remain committed to encouraging public engagement and ensuring residents have access to accurate information throughout this process."
Classes and benefits
The event also will feature demonstrations of OpenAI products, with Codex classes scheduled for 6 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Codex is OpenAI's AI coding assistant that helps users write, understand and debug computer code using natural language.
OpenAI also announced it will provide up to $71 million in Codex credits to students attending Georgia colleges, universities and technical schools. Eligible students will receive $100 in credits through their ChatGPT accounts to use the coding assistant.
The company also plans to establish an $80 million community investment fund to support local priorities identified by residents. Officials are expected to provide additional details about the fund during Thursday's open house.
OpenAI officials said Thursday's open house is the first of many community engagement events planned throughout the project.
