# OpenAI offers new promises to communities near data centers

> The company says it will cover power and grid costs at sites it operates. Its commitments may not cover facilities built and owned by partners.

Oossa · 2026-11-05 · https://oossa.com/en/openai-offers-new-promises-to-communities-near-data-centers

OpenAI has announced voluntary commitments meant to ease local concerns about building data centers in the United States. Its National Community Compact and a separate Policy Blueprint promise greater transparency and support for communities near future sites. OpenAI is also asking lawmakers to make similar rules binding across the industry.

The commitments have a limit: OpenAI says they apply to future data centers it owns and operates itself. The Decoder reports that much of the company’s infrastructure is built and held by partners, including Oracle, so those facilities may not be covered by the pledges.

For its own sites, OpenAI says it will stop requiring nondisclosure agreements in negotiations with local authorities. The promise does not cover trade secrets, security concerns or competitively sensitive information. The company also says it will pay the full cost of electricity and grid upgrades, reduce power use during peak hours, and publish construction plans, noise studies and water-use data.

## Local resistance is growing

OpenAI policy chief Chris Lehane is also highlighting potential local benefits. He told Reuters that regular hardware upgrades would create lasting jobs, and promised 2,500 positions in Ohio. OpenAI points to $4.8 million for school lunches in Georgia. That is a small sum beside the more than $30 billion in planned project costs there.

The announcement followed US midterm elections that also brought a wave of local votes on data centers. The Decoder reports that voters rejected new data centers in 40 of 41 local ballot measures. Democrats also won key governor’s races in Texas, Georgia and Ohio. Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has called for an immediate pause on new facilities.

Opposition has already delayed projects: research group Data Center Watch counted 45 stalled projects worth $88 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Lehane acknowledged that OpenAI’s projects could face delays. Investors also reacted differently to the election results: shares of data-center operators Hut 8, IREN and Core Scientific fell, while Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet rose. The Decoder says investors expect slower construction to restrain infrastructure spending by the largest technology companies.

## The facts

- OpenAI says its commitments cover future sites it owns and operates, not necessarily facilities owned by partners such as Oracle.
- The company says it will pay electricity and grid-upgrade costs at covered sites and reduce power use during peak hours.
- OpenAI policy chief Chris Lehane promised 2,500 jobs in Ohio; the company cited $4.8 million for school lunches in Georgia.
- Data Center Watch counted 45 data-center projects worth $88 billion stalled by local opposition in Q2 2026.

## Why it matters

For residents near a proposed site, OpenAI’s pledges could mean access to construction and water-use information, and less risk that local electricity customers bear grid-upgrade costs at facilities the company operates. But the commitments are voluntary and may not apply to partner-owned sites, so residents cannot yet assume every OpenAI-linked project will follow them.

## Sources & references

1. [After midterm rout, OpenAI tries to win over communities it needs for AI expansion](https://the-decoder.com/after-midterm-rout-openai-tries-to-win-over-communities-it-needs-for-ai-expansion/) – The Decoder, 2026-11-05

Last updated: 2026-11-05