OpenAI’s arrival in Effingham County promised benefits for residents. Promises made about so-called “Project Camellia” include property tax reductions, though some residents don’t think that is enough. GPB’s Jillian Magtoto reports. OpenAI representatives speaking to angry residents in Effingham County at the company's open house on July 23, 2026 John Smith bought a house five years ago near an industrial park, in his hometown of Effingham County. He'd expected some nearby development amid the region's growing flurry of trucks and warehouses, but nothing close to Georgia's largest data center campus. Just weeks ago, he learned he will soon be living across from the 1,400-acre property planned for OpenAI's 3.2-megawatt data center. "This is not the quality of life that I signed up for when I moved," Smith said. "I mean, a small storage data center from the '80s is not the same as the hyper scale AI training data center." The land could have followed the county’s status quo as yet another logistics center, said Effingham County Commissioner Roger Burdette at a data center information session on Aug. 26. But he wanted something more of the land than a service appendage for the growing Port of Savannah. "This was an opportunity to take a look at the property, make a decision that made sense, to do something, in my opinion, of higher and better use," Burdette said. He and other county officials touted OpenAI's "Project Camellia" as that higher alternative, helping provide about 6…
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