OpenAI Ditches NDAs, Promises to Pay Full Power Costs as US Voters Push Back on AI Data Centers

OpenAI is promising to stop using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with local government officials and pay the full cost of electricity and infrastructure required by its data centers, as the ChatGPT maker faces mounting public opposition to AI infrastructure expansion following a bruising 2026 U.S. midterm election.

The new commitments also include greater community involvement, transparency over construction plans, water management and noise studies and investments in projects selected by local residents.

The policy shift comes just days after voters across the US overwhelmingly backed restrictions on data center development, putting the industry’s expansion plans under growing political pressure.

OpenAI’s new policy blueprint outlines a series of commitments for future data centers, which the company increasingly refers to as “compute campuses.”

The company said it would apply these commitments to facilities it owns and operates while encouraging policymakers to turn similar principles into laws.

“What we’re doing with this blueprint is really laying out the best lessons that we have learned and committing to applying them as they go forward,” OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told reporters during a Wednesday briefing, adding, “This will help ensure that there is a very high floor in terms of how people move forward.”

The announcement is particularly significant because data center developers have faced criticism over the use of NDAs to keep discussions with local government officials confidential.

OpenAI said it would avoid such agreements, allowing only limited protections for legitimate security information, trade secrets, and proprietary or competitively sensitive information.

OpenAI Promises Transparency, Full Energy Costs and Local Community Investments

Beyond the NDA commitment, OpenAI said it would “pay our own way on energy and infrastructure” by covering the full cost of electricity consumed by its facilities and the infrastructure required to serve them.

The company also pledged to develop a water plan and noise study for every site.

For each future compute campus it owns, OpenAI will work with local governments to establish a “local compact” incorporating these commitments while reflecting the priorities of the surrounding community.

The company also plans to solicit public input, publish construction plans and make sustained investments in projects selected by residents.

Employment and economic opportunities are another part of the blueprint. OpenAI said it would publish the number of jobs it expects its projects to create and report on hiring, giving communities greater visibility into the economic benefits of hosting AI infrastructure.

The commitments also address growing concerns that data centers consume substantial local resources without adequately sharing their economic benefits with nearby residents.

Along with Sam Altman’s company, Meta, Microsoft, Google and Anthropic have previously outlined similar commitments concerning electricity costs, jobs and local communities. Amazon also announced in October that it would stop using NDAs with government agencies involved in its data center projects.

Election Backlash Puts AI Data Center Expansion Under Political Pressure

The timing of OpenAI’s announcement reflects a changing political environment for the AI industry.

This week, voters delivered a significant rebuke to data center expansion. Out of 41 local ballot measures across 10 states, voters supported restrictions or rejected pro-development proposals in all but one, according to Ballotpedia’s analysis and additional results gathered by CNBC.

The election also brought Democratic victories across the country, with new Democratic governors set to take power in Texas and Georgia pledging to pause new data center construction in response to public opposition.

Meanwhile, AI and chip stocks plunged on Nov. 5 as investors moved away from what had been one of the year’s most popular trades. As per the reports, analysts highlighted the growing disconnect between rapid industry expansion and public sentiment.

The backlash could force developers to shift future projects towards states with more favourable policies while raising barriers to new construction.

OpenAI’s blueprint therefore represents more than a set of community commitments. It signals how AI companies may need to change their infrastructure strategies as local residents and elected officials gain greater influence over where the industry’s next generation of data centers can be built.