OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage to build $15B Stargate data center in Wisconsin

OpenAI, Oracle (ORCL.N), and Vantage Data Centers announced plans to develop a massive new data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, as part of the multibillion-dollar Stargate initiative designed to keep the U.S. at the forefront of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Wisconsin site, named Lighthouse, is set for completion in 2028 and will create more than 4,000 skilled construction jobs, most of them union-based. Backed by Vantage’s $15 billion investment, the facility will be a core component of OpenAI and Oracle’s plan to deliver over 4.5 gigawatts of IT capacity nationwide.

Stargate—envisioned as a $500 billion, 10-gigawatt project—also includes Japan’s SoftBank Group (9984.T) and recently began work on its first AI data center in Abilene, Texas. The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to maintain U.S. dominance in advanced computing amid growing competition from China.

OpenAI and its primary backer Microsoft (MSFT.O) are among the major tech firms investing heavily in data centers to power generative AI systems such as ChatGPT and Copilot, both of which demand vast computing resources.

Once operational, the Lighthouse campus will anchor a growing network of Stargate sites being developed with Oracle, generating more than 1,000 long-term jobs and thousands of additional indirect roles in the region.

Vantage, supported by private equity firm Silver Lake and asset manager DigitalBridge (DBRG.N), will oversee the Port Washington buildout as part of its ongoing U.S. data center expansion. The companies said the project marks a crucial step toward meeting the exploding global demand for AI infrastructure.