Georgia residents sue OpenAI and county officials over secrecy around $20bn Project Camellia data centre
Three Effingham County residents allege the land deal was kept from the public until it was committed; the claims are unproven and OpenAI's response is not reported.
Why it matters
Local resistance to AI data centres is moving from public meetings into court. The complaint, filed on 6 November in Effingham County State Court, describes a four-building campus of about 4.4 million square feet on roughly 1,440 acres, built by OpenAI through Octans GA LLC at a reported cost of about $20 billion. It alleges non-disclosure agreements with local officials and a closed-session approval under an agenda that listed only 'Project Gateway'. Watch for OpenAI's response and whether courts treat such secrecy as a breach of open-government rules.
Key facts
- Complaint filed Nov. 6 in Effingham County State Court
- Three resident plaintiffs
- Campus of four buildings, about 4.4 million sq ft
- About 1,440 acres via OpenAI entity Octans GA LLC
- Reported cost about $20 billion
- Allegations have not been proven in court