OpenAI pledges to cover energy costs and share data on its AI campuses

Facing pushback across the United States over the power, water use, and noise of data centers, OpenAI has released its National Community Compact and Compute Campus Policy Blueprint to reshape how it works with local communities. OpenAI promises that every campus it owns and runs will sign a local community contract, bring residents in early during planning, keep a standing local liaison office, and publish yearly progress reports. It will also stop asking local officials to sign non-disclosure agreements during site talks. On costs, OpenAI will fully cover its own electricity bills and all grid expansion expenses, with financial guarantees to protect regular power users. It will also publish real power and water usage data, plus noise impact reports, for each site. Reuters reports that OpenAI's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane says these campuses will keep creating jobs, with a facility in southern Ohio expected to bring 2,500 long-term jobs at an average salary of $80,000.