Inside OpenAI & Oracle's Dream of a Green Data Centre Campus

A partnership between OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage Data Centres will see the development of a data centre campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

The US$15bn Lighthouse campus is part of the Stargate expansion partnership.

It will feature four hyperscale data centres that could deliver nearly a gigawatt of AI capacity upon completion in 2028.

The project represents a commitment to sustainable digital infrastructure through green energy partnerships, water-positive operations and biodiversity initiatives.

The campus design focuses on environmental considerations, aiming to preserve local resources and support clean energy growth.

Vantage Data Centres is facilitating new zero-emission energy generation in Wisconsin by using solar, wind and battery storage.

According to the plans, 70% of the renewable power capacity generated is for the Lighthouse campus, while the remaining 30% will benefit the broader Wisconsin consumer base.

The campus aims for 100% zero-emission powered operation by matching any non-renewable energy consumption with renewable energy purchases.

Green energy partnerships

This energy strategy is supported by a partnership with WEC Energy Group’s utility, We Energies, which is co-developing almost two gigawatts of new energy infrastructure for the region.

This is intended to guarantee electricity rate stability, protecting other customers from price increases.

Scott Lauber, President and CEO of WEC Energy Group, explains that the partnership delivers new clean energy for the campus and generates “lasting benefits for Wisconsin” without raising rates for other customers.

The data centre is also making advances in water efficiency with a closed-loop liquid cooling system designed to minimise water consumption.

To go beyond its water footprint, Vantage is investing in local restoration projects to ensure the campus is water-positive, meaning it will restore more water to freshwater sources than it consumes.

Biodiversity and environmental stewardship

Biodiversity is another core component of the Lighthouse campus design.

From a total of 672 acres, Vantage is developing 500 acres for the data centres while preserving the surrounding natural environment.

This includes planting over 2,000 native trees, creating an eight-foot planted berm for sound mitigation and protecting existing wetlands.

Vantage is also pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the campus.

Dana Adams, President of North America at Vantage Data Centres, says, “Vantage is committed to being a good neighbour and is prioritising investing in sustainable energy, minimising local impact and partnering closely with the community to be an economic contributor for the state."

Economic and community impact

The Lighthouse project is also expected to bring socio-economic benefits to Port Washington.

The construction phase is projected to create over 4,000 skilled union jobs. Upon completion, Vantage and Oracle will generate more than 1,000 long-term jobs.

Mayor Ted Neitzke IV of Port Washington says the “once in a generation investment” will create thousands of high-paying jobs and create long-term economic ripple effects across the region.

He adds this will allow the city to “further strengthen public services and community development”.

The campus is projected to contribute an estimated US$2.7bn to the regional GDP.

Vantage is also committing at least US$175m to local infrastructure upgrades, including water, wastewater, and power facilities.

Peter Hoeschele, OpenAI’s Vice President of Industrial Compute, comments that the project will create good jobs, advance zero-emission energy and boost the local economy.

Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, says: “We’re pleased to work with Vantage Data Centres as we continue to rapidly expand our cloud capacity to meet the growing demand for AI.”

The project in Port Washington could provide a replicable model for sustainable data centre development at scale by coordinating investments and commitments to renewables, energy efficiency and environmental restoration.