Lighthouse Data Center Campus
Status: Under Construction (Phase 1) | Location: Port Washington, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
Project Overview
The Lighthouse Campus (also referred to as the Port Washington project) is a massive $15 billion investment that represents the next generation of "off-grid capable" hyperscale infrastructure. As of early January 2026, the project has entered a critical phase with the signing of a landmark 1GW power agreement with Liberty Energy. This partnership is designed to bypass traditional utility delays by integrating "behind-the-meter" high-efficiency power generation directly onto the campus.
Spanning a massive site in Port Washington, Wisconsin, the facility is purpose-built to house the extreme compute requirements of OpenAI’s next-generation models. The engineering is a departure from 2024-era designs, utilizing a full-stack Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling architecture to manage rack densities that now frequently exceed 120 kW. By generating power on-site and utilizing intelligent load management, the Lighthouse Campus can operate autonomously from the local grid during peak demand, protecting the surrounding community from price spikes while ensuring the AI models have uninterrupted "always-on" compute power. This project is a flagship for the "Infrastructure Supercycle," proving that the future of AI depends as much on energy innovation as it does on silicon.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Lighthouse Data Center Campus |
| Location | Port Washington, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin |
| Status | Under Construction (Phase 1) |
| Commissioning | Phase 1: Late 2026 / Early 2027 |
| Total IT Load | 1,000 MW (1 GW) at Full Buildout |
| Total Capacity | 1.2 GW (Total Power Reservation) |
| Tier Level | Tier III+ (High Availability AI Specs) |
| Project Type | Hyperscale AI Training "AI Factory" |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Port Washington (near Milwaukee) |
| Population | 12,750 people. |
| Urban Agglomeration | 1.56 million (2023/2024). |
| City GDP | $8.64 billion USD. |
| Per Capita Income | ~$42,950 |
| City Tier | There is no official “tier” system for U.S. cities like China’s city-tier categorization; however in U.S. planning/economic terms: |
| Key Strengths | Mix of manufacturing, public administration, healthcare, and services supports employment. Major employers include county government, local manufacturers, and the school district. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Vantage Data Centers |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Liberty Energy / Liberty Power Innovations (LPI) |
| Construction Contractor | Leading Hyperscale Specialist (Bechtel/HITT) |
| MEP Engineering | Integrated AI Cooling Specialists |
| Network Connectivity | Ultra-Low Latency Fiber to Chicago Hubs |
| Power Infrastructure | On-site Natural Gas Generation + Grid Interconnect |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | 1,000 MW Dedicated |
| UPS Redundancy | Distributed Redundant (N+1 or 2N based on hall) |
| Cooling System | Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) |
| Connectivity | Multi-carrier neutral fiber backbone |
| PUE Target | < 1.15 |
| Energy Mix | Natural Gas (Transitionary) & Carbon Offsets |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
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| Announcement | Q4 2024 |
| Construction Start | December 2025 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | January 5, 2026 |
| Full Buildout | 2028 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
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| Total Investment | $15 Billion (Projected Total) |
| Funding | Private Equity (Silver Lake/DigitalBridge) & Oracle |