Residents Say OpenAI's $20B Data Centre Was Planned in Secret Meetings Near Two Elementary Schools

Three Effingham County residents have filed a lawsuit challenging how a proposed $20 billion (£14.86 billion) OpenAI data centre was negotiated, arguing that decisions affecting nearby communities advanced before the public could scrutinise them.

The complaint, filed on 6 November 2026 in Effingham County State Court, names OpenAI OpCo LLC, Octans GA LLC, Savannah Industrial Development LLC, the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority, and several county officials. It alleges fraud, civil conspiracy, and violations of Georgia's civil RICO law. The claims have not been proven.

The dispute centres on Project Camellia, a planned data centre campus in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub outside Savannah. The development is expected to cover about 1,440 acres, with buildings totalling approximately 4.4 million square feet.

Residents Challenge the Project's Proximity and Scale

The plaintiffs say the site is less than 1,000 feet from homes and close to two elementary schools. These distances are allegations in the legal dispute, not independently established findings.

Residents' concerns include pressure on local electricity, water, and roads, as well as noise. OpenAI says it is contracting with Georgia Power for 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, to be delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032.

The company says it will pay the full cost of the required electricity infrastructure and power service. It has also described a closed-loop cooling system intended to limit water use. The effect of those measures will depend on their final design and implementation.

Complaint Questions How Land and Planning Decisions Were Made

According to the complaint, negotiations began in 2025 and involved confidentiality agreements. The plaintiffs allege Savannah Industrial Development LLC signed land purchase agreements with Octans GA LLC in May and July 2026, before the Industrial Development Authority formally considered the project.

The complaint also challenges a development agreement dated 21 July 2026 and a zoning amendment adopted on 4 August. The plaintiffs contend that required public hearings did not take place and that decisions were made without adequate scrutiny.

Georgia's Open Meetings Act generally requires meetings of covered public bodies to be open, with advance notice, subject to statutory exceptions. Whether the conduct described in the complaint breached the law is for the courts to determine. Confidentiality agreements alone do not establish a violation.

The project was publicly announced on 22 July, with OpenAI and county officials presenting it as a major local investment. The complaint disputes whether residents were involved early enough in decisions affecting their community.

County Points to Jobs and Community Funding

Effingham County has promoted potential economic benefits, including long-term tax revenue and about 400 permanent jobs. Its Project Camellia resource centre records a public work session on 29 August 2026, when residents attended, watched online, and submitted questions.

OpenAI has announced an $80 million community-benefits commitment. County materials identify a $4.3 million school-meals grant for the 2026–27 school year. These are announced commitments, not benefits that have necessarily all been delivered.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages, legal costs, and a jury trial. No ruling has been made on their allegations. Public engagement and promised benefits do not resolve the central issue: whether the decisions leading to the development complied with the law and gave residents the participation they were entitled to expect.