At a glance
- The two documents cover "sites owned and operated by OpenAI," leaving unclear whether the policy extends to compute the company leases or develops with partners, Data Center Dynamics reported.
- For allocators underwriting an OpenAI-anchored campus, the change that matters is disclosure: OpenAI will publish site-specific plans on temporary construction effects, including independent noise studies, water usage, energy costs, sustainability and economic impacts.
- The compact also promises insurance against stranded assets if a project is delayed, reduced or canceled.
OpenAI will stop using non-disclosure agreements with public officials at the US data centers it owns and operates under a Compute Campus Policy and a National Community Compact published Nov. 5.
The two documents cover "sites owned and operated by OpenAI," leaving unclear whether the policy extends to compute the company leases or develops with partners, Data Center Dynamics reported. OpenAI said NDAs will remain available for a "narrow" set of cases: legitimate security information, trade secrets, and proprietary or competitively sensitive material.
For allocators underwriting an OpenAI-anchored campus, the change that matters is disclosure: OpenAI will publish site-specific plans on temporary construction effects, including independent noise studies, water usage, energy costs, sustainability and economic impacts. It will also name a resident contact who stays reachable for the life of the campus, and siting terms previously argued with county officials behind an NDA become disclosable, giving opponents a documented baseline to test against permits and water filings.
The compact also promises insurance against stranded assets if a project is delayed, reduced or canceled.
On power, the compact adds to the Grid Protectors Program OpenAI unveiled earlier this month. The company pledged to try to cut electricity demand from future campuses when the grid is under strain, an effort it described as an ambition rather than set policy, as Private Infrastructure Daily previously reported. The new pledges promise load smoothing and supply of power back to the grid where needed. OpenAI has also signed a national Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
The commitments follow a midterm election in which data center siting was on the ballot. Exit polls found 56% of voters said AI data centers were a crucial or major factor in their congressional vote decision, and voters came out against data center projects and in favor of moratoriums, Data Center Dynamics reported.
OpenAI's community investment commitments are conditional. The company said it "could support housing stability," "could invest in education" and "could expand access to capital, business advising, technology, and new markets" for local businesses, and said it would help communities plan for an influx of new tax revenue. It also began rebranding its data centers as "compute campuses."
Reported by the Data centers & fiber desk from Data Center Dynamics. Published . Corrections