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SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle are turning a former auto manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio into a proving ground for what the consortium describes as “an advanced data center design.” The project is part of a sweeping expansion of the Stargate AI initiative, which added five new US data center locations on September 23 and pushed the venture’s total investment ambitions toward $500 billion.
That’s not a typo. Half a trillion dollars aimed at building the physical backbone for artificial intelligence, with a target of 10 GW in total energy capacity.
Five new sites, one very big bet
The September expansion brought five additional Stargate locations into the fold. New sites span Shackelford County in Texas, Dona Ana County in New Mexico, Milam County in Texas, the Lordstown facility in Ohio, and one undisclosed location.
Together, these sites push the initiative’s planned capacity to nearly 7 GW. The Lordstown project is particularly notable because SoftBank is leading the effort there, repurposing a former auto plant that was previously associated with Foxconn. Operations at the Ohio site are targeted for 2026.
The Stargate initiative was originally conceived as a joint venture in January 2025, with each entity holding significant stakes. At launch, the first phase carried a price tag of around $100 billion. That figure has since ballooned to over $400 billion as part of the September expansion, bringing the total investment target to roughly $500 billion.
Why crypto investors should care about AI power demand
Speculation around this dynamic has already moved markets. Bitcoin mining equities like RIOT, IREN, and BTBT have seen stock gains tied to expectations that AI infrastructure buildouts will create new revenue opportunities for miners. The logic is simple: companies that already know how to negotiate cheap power at scale and operate energy-hungry facilities have a head start when AI companies come looking for exactly those capabilities.
The competitive landscape and what to watch
The repurposed Lordstown auto plant adds another wrinkle. The facility won’t just house servers. It will be used to manufacture data center equipment, suggesting the consortium wants to vertically integrate parts of its supply chain.
For crypto market participants, the key variable to monitor is how AI energy demand translates into actual contracts and revenue for Bitcoin mining companies. Right now, much of the price action in mining stocks is driven by speculation rather than signed deals.
Investors tracking the overlap between AI infrastructure and crypto should watch for two signals: mining companies announcing actual AI hosting contracts with named partners, and Stargate hitting its 2026 operational targets at the Lordstown facility.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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