SoftBank, AEP to build $33.3B gas plant, AI data center
Business
Big news for Ohio: Japan's SoftBank and American Electric Power (AEP) are teaming up to build a massive $33.3 billion gas-powered plant and data center in Portsmouth.
This project is part of a broader U.S.-Japan tech partnership and will use a 9.2-gigawatt gas plant to power servers dedicated to artificial intelligence.
Project aims to boost local economy and job market
Along with the main investment, $4.2 billion will go into upgrading energy transmission lines.
The project promises new jobs and economic growth for the region, but not everyone's thrilled: environmental groups like the Sierra Club have raised concerns about pollution from the gas plant, even as federal resources aim to keep energy costs in check and strengthen US infrastructure.