TECHNOLOGY

OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank Announce 5 New AI Data Centers in U.S.

PUBLISHED Aug 22, 2026, 4:13 PM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 30

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Center 87%

Right 3%

Sources: 30

OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank announced five U.S. data-center sites on Sept. 23, 2025, expanding the Stargate artificial-intelligence infrastructure program to nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity. The sites are in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; Lordstown, Ohio; Milam County, Texas; and a Midwest location later identified as Wisconsin. OpenAI said the five sites, Abilene, Texas, and CoreWeave projects represented more than $400 billion in planned investment over three years. The companies initially said the two SoftBank-linked sites could scale to 1.5 gigawatts within 18 months. OpenAI’s announcement said the broader Stargate goal was $500 billion and 10 gigawatts of U.S. infrastructure. The supplied story is materially misdated: the five-site announcement occurred in September 2025, not August 2026. More recent developments have changed the landscape, including an Ohio data-center lease backed by Nvidia announced Aug. 17, 2026. No new five-site announcement was located in the final freshness search.

By Emily Rhodes | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On January 21, 2025, Stargate launched with $500 billion commitment.
On July 22, 2025, Oracle added 4.5 gigawatts additional capacity.
On September 23, 2025, five new Stargate sites were announced.
On October 22, 2025, Wisconsin became the Midwest Stargate site.
On January 9, 2026, SB Energy partnership expanded Stargate infrastructure.
On April 29, 2026, OpenAI said Stargate surpassed initial goals.
On August 17, 2026, Nvidia backed another massive Ohio facility.
On August 23, 2026, no new five-site announcement was found.
Over coming months, additional U.S. Stargate sites may still emerge.
Over coming years, grid capacity increasingly constrains data-center expansion nationwide.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: Five planned sites expand U.S. AI capacity and construction activity.
Possible long-term US impact: Large-scale buildout could reshape electricity demand, jobs, infrastructure, and investment.
Reader priority: Readers should prioritize dated primary announcements and independently reported updates.
Most Affected: Texas, Ohio, New Mexico communities, utilities, workers, investors face impacts.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 30
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 3
Neutral:: 26

Explain Framing

Left: Left coverage emphasized environmental costs, financing risks, and community concerns. Center: Center coverage emphasized announced sites, capacity figures, partners, and timelines. Right: Right coverage emphasized American competitiveness, jobs, investment, and China competition.