OpenAI Stargate: where the US sites stand | Epoch AI
Report<br>Apr. 17, 2026
OpenAI Stargate: where the US sites stand<br>The $500 billion AI data center initiative is projected to exceed 9 gigawatts of capacity by 2029, with 0.3 gigawatts already operational in Abilene and six more US sites under active construction.
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Data Explorer
By Elliot Stewart and Ben Cottier
Introduction<br>The United States is in the middle of an unprecedented build-out of AI infrastructure. No project illustrates the scale of that effort more than Stargate, a $500 billion endeavor involving AI developer OpenAI, cloud provider Oracle, and investment company SoftBank.<br>Stargate has seven locations across the US, all of which are now showing active development. The most advanced—in Abilene, Texas—is already operating at an estimated capacity of 0.3 gigawatts (GW). The six other sites include two more in Texas, as well as facilities in New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. Together, the seven sites add up to over 9 GW of planned capacity, which is comparable to the peak power demand of New York City.1 This will be enough to power the equivalent of 20 million Nvidia H100 GPUs, which was the total amount of AI compute in the world by the end of 2025.2
SiteCurrent<br>capacity (GW)Projected<br>capacity (GW)3Construction<br>beganProjected<br>completionPower<br>sourcesAbilene, Texas0.31.2Q2 2024Q4 2026On-site gas, GridShackelford County, Texas02.0Q3 2025Q4 2028On-site gasDoña Ana County, New Mexico02.2Q4 2025Q4 2028On-site gasMilam County, Texas01.2Q3 2025Q4 2028On-site (unknown type)Port Washington, Wisconsin01.3Q1 2026Q4 2028GridSaline Township, Michigan01.4Q4 2025Q4 2028GridLordstown, Ohio0Q4 2025UnknownGrid<br>Stargate’s design choices reveal how builders are navigating the key challenges of gigawatt-scale AI data centers in the US. To sidestep lengthy queues for connecting to energy grids, at least three of the seven sites will make use of on-site natural gas plants. To address public concerns about water usage, at least six sites will use closed-loop liquid cooling systems, which do not evaporate water.4 These decisions will likely save the project time but raise the cost of the facilities.<br>Based on announcements from 2025, SoftBank will own the hardware at the Milam County and Ohio sites, while Oracle will own the hardware at the remaining sites. All sites will serve OpenAI’s workloads.
The sites<br>Abilene, Texas<br>Satellite image of the Abilene, Texas Stargate site. Image © Airbus DS 2026, captured 2026-03-24.Current capacity: 0.3 GW | 250,000 H100-equivalents5<br>Projected capacity: 1.2 GW | 1.0 million H100-equivalents<br>Projected completion: Q4 2026<br>The Stargate project’s flagship location is in Abilene, Texas. Built by AI infrastructure company Crusoe, Abilene is the most complete Stargate site to date, with an estimated four of the eight buildings already operational. These buildings house state-of-the-art Nvidia Blackwell chips.<br>Power is currently supplied by a mix of on-site natural gas and grid power, which includes local wind power.<br>OpenAI had planned to expand this site to 2.1 GW, but recently reversed course, deciding to direct that capacity to other locations. Microsoft has since partnered with Crusoe for the adjacent 900 MW site.<br>View with satellite explorer
Shackelford County, Texas<br>Satellite image of the Shackelford County, Texas Stargate site. Image © 2026 Vantor, captured 2026-04-14.Current capacity: 0 GW<br>Projected capacity: 2 GW | 4.2 million H100-equivalents<br>Projected completion: Q4 2028<br>Just across the county line from the Abilene site, data center developer Vantage is constructing a massive 1,200-acre (4.9-square-kilometer) campus with 10 buildings.<br>The campus will be powered by an onsite natural gas microgrid.<br>Vantage has given a delivery date for the site’s first building of late 2026.6 Satellite imagery shows that roofing is underway for this building (visible in bright white).<br>View with satellite explorer
Doña Ana County, New Mexico<br>Satellite image of the Doña Ana County, New Mexico Stargate site. Image © Airbus DS 2026, captured 2026-02-06.Current capacity: 0 GW<br>Projected capacity: 2.2 GW | 4.6 million H100-equivalents<br>Projected completion: Q4 2028<br>In New Mexico, STACK Infrastructure is developing Project Jupiter, which consists of four large buildings. Satellite imagery shows that foundation work is underway.<br>This site will be powered by two natural gas microgrids designed to limit impact on the local grid.<br>View with satellite explorer
Milam County, Texas<br>Satellite image of the Milam County, Texas Stargate site. Image © Airbus DS 2026, captured 2026-03-23.Current capacity: 0 GW<br>Projected capacity: 1.2 GW | 2.5 million H100-equivalents<br>Projected completion: Q4 2028<br>SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy is building and operating what is described as a “fast-build” site in Milam County, Texas, around 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Austin. A satellite image from March shows steel framing and roofing for the first building...