OHIO leaders tour PORTS site, reaffirm commitment to redevelopment efforts

Ongoing redevelopment successes at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Pike County were on full display during a recent visit to the site by Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and other top University officials.

The extensive work to clean up and reinvent the massive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site as an innovative hub to help foster accelerated artificial intelligence capacity and increased energy production across the nation highlight the decades-long commitment and support by OHIO’s George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

“What is happening at PORTS represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for southern Ohio and the future of the region’s economy,” President Gonzalez said. “The transformation of this site into a hub for advanced energy, manufacturing and artificial intelligence demonstrates the power of collaboration among government, industry, higher education and community partners. Ohio University is proud to support this work and help ensure the region is prepared to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.”

Recent developments to further the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative goals to redevelop the 3,777-acre PORTS site include: $900 million in DOE funding for Centrus Energy Corp. to expand its uranium enrichment operations; and an agreement between Oklo Inc. and Meta Platforms, Inc. to develop an advanced nuclear small modular reactor power project to provide up to 1.2 GW of electricity dedicated to Meta’s data centers in the region.

In addition, SB Energy, a SoftBank Group company, announced a unique public-private partnership to construct the world’s largest AI data center at PORTS and committed to building 9.2 gigawatts of new power generation.

OHIO’s ongoing efforts to reinvigorate the site are spearheaded by the Voinovich School’s PORTSfuture Program led by Director Stephanie Howe.

Ohio University works with regional partners to help create jobs, revitalize communities

The PORTSfuture Program leverages Ohio University knowledge and expertise to assist partners in the areas of site readiness for industry, Geographic Information Systems databases, data analysis, economic impact analysis, workforce readiness, industry engagement and regional partnership building. The program also dedicates resources to public engagement, training, outreach, and K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics engagement.

The result: A reindustrialization of PORTS to stimulate an economic revival in southern Ohio resulting in the creation of thousands of well-paying private sector jobs and the attraction of billions of dollars in private capital investments.

“The PORTSfuture Program is proud to be part of this public-private partnership to support redevelopment efforts that will result in immense economic benefit for the region,” Howe said. “This initiative will strengthen the local economy, create high-quality jobs, and revitalize communities for generations to come.”

Joining President Gonzalez during the recent tour were OHIO Board of Trustees member Richard Dickerson, Vice President for Research and Creative Activity Eric Muth, Vice President of Advancement Greg Simmons, Voinovich School Dean Tracy Plouck, Voinovich School Director of Energy Programs Stephanie Howe, and Dr. Jason Trembly, department chair for Mechanical Engineering and Russ Endowed Chair and director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment at OHIO. They met with DOE officials to reaffirm the University’s commitment to the efforts.

PORTS redevelopment is supported by local, regional, and state economic and workforce development organizations, chambers of commerce, elected officials, labor groups, community members and a multitude of regional stakeholders.

Their collaborative efforts for the site and resulting development successes are aligned with the nation’s priorities to achieve energy independence, expand domestic manufacturing and excel in the AI arena to further secure the nation’s position as a world leader in these areas. Southern Ohio and Ohio University will play a vital role in achieving those objectives.