OpenAI Vows to Cover Data Center Power Costs and Drop NDAs After Voters Reject AI Projects at Polls

OpenAI announced a sweeping set of commitments for how it will develop future company-owned and operated data centers, pledging to cover the full power costs of those facilities so that local ratepayers are not burdened, publish construction plans in advance, and refuse to use nondisclosure agreements with public officials during negotiations. The company also committed to actively soliciting community input before breaking ground and urged lawmakers to codify similar requirements as mandatory rules for the broader industry.

The announcement came just two days after voters across the United States rejected or backed restrictions on data center development in 40 of 41 local ballot measures spanning 10 states, delivering a stark signal that public opposition to AI infrastructure has hardened into a political force. Opposition has centered on concerns that data centers drive up electricity costs for ordinary ratepayers while delivering profits largely to large technology companies.

The pledges are part of what OpenAI framed as a blueprint of best practices learned from prior projects. The move is widely seen as a charm offensive intended to reshape public and political perception of data centers ahead of potential regulatory action, and it carries implications for the company's financial reputation, its relationships with regulators, and its longer-term prospects for a public offering.