Portsmouth-area former uranium site targeted for 10-gigawatt data center and gas-power project

Federal officials announced March 20 a planned roughly 10-gigawatt data-center and gas-power development at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant near Piketon, north of Portsmouth. The Department of Energy said construction is expected to begin in 2026, and the announcement projected thousands of jobs.

The development could bring major construction activity and permanent employment to the broader southern Ohio economy. It could also increase regional demand for power and water and affect transportation, industrial land use and local business activity. Those effects remain potential outcomes, not confirmed results.

What was announced

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum participated in the March 20 announcement, along with officials from SoftBank Group and SB Energy.

The proposed project combines data-center facilities with gas-power generation. The federal announcement also connected the site’s planned work with research or applications involving fusion energy, quantum computing and national-security uses, according to the Associated Press account of the event.

The approximately 10 gigawatts of planned capacity would make this a substantial proposed industrial and technology development for the region. Federal officials said the project is expected to create thousands of jobs, but the available information does not provide a confirmed job count or distinguish how many positions would be temporary construction jobs versus permanent jobs.

Regional project, not a Portsmouth city project

The site is associated with the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant near Piketon in Pike County. Portsmouth is in Scioto County, and the plant is not within Portsmouth city limits. The project is therefore best understood as a Portsmouth-area regional development that could affect the city’s labor and service market, rather than as a city project.

That distinction matters for residents, workers, commuters, families and local businesses evaluating what the announcement could mean. The project could generate new regional industrial activity and demand for services, while its potential power, water and transportation requirements could also create infrastructure questions. The source material does not establish the scale of any such effects or identify specific improvements, disruptions or costs.

What is not yet settled

The announcement is not proof that the development will be completed. The available evidence does not establish a final investment decision, construction permit, financing close, exact construction schedule or confirmed job total. Construction has not been established as having begun.

The next stated milestone is the expectation that construction will begin sometime in 2026. No more specific start date or additional project deadline was provided in the approved information. The proposal’s progress, permitting and financing will determine whether that expectation becomes an actual construction start.