OpenAI pledged to cover the full cost of electricity and related infrastructure at future US computing campuses it owns and operates under commitments published on Nov. 5, the company said.
The AI company also proposed industry rules to protect residents regardless of who builds nearby campuses. Its announcement, “Setting a new standard for responsible AI infrastructure,” introduced a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint.
The commitments extend work begun in January through OpenAI’s Stargate community pledges, followed by specific commitments in Georgia and Ohio. The company described the new measures as its next step after discussions with residents, local leaders, schools and businesses.
OpenAI promised a separate local compact for every future campus it owns and operates, with residents involved while project plans can still change. It committed to providing a local contact throughout each campus’s life and publishing annual progress reports.
Before major spending begins, the company pledged financial assurances to protect other electricity customers if a project is delayed, reduced or canceled. Its policy blueprint asks state utility commissions to require similar protections from large electricity customers.
OpenAI said its agreement with Georgia Power at the planned Effingham County campus allows the utility to cut deliveries by up to 1,000 megawatts during high demand. The blueprint proposes easier grid connections for campuses that can safely reduce consumption when power is scarce.
The company also proposed that Congress speed up transmission upgrades and restore and expand tax incentives for clean electricity. It argued that voluntary company commitments need support from federal, state and local rules.
For its own campuses, OpenAI promised individual water plans, a preference for closed-loop or low-water cooling, and publication of each site’s water and electricity consumption. It also committed to publishing construction plans and independent noise studies before operations begin and annually afterward.
The company pledged to avoid nondisclosure agreements with public officials, apart from narrow protections for security, trade secrets and proprietary or competitively sensitive information. Its blueprint proposes similar limits across the industry, alongside public reporting on water, energy, noise and hiring.
OpenAI committed to publishing expected job numbers, working with unions and training providers, and reporting annually on hiring and apprenticeships. It also promised sustained investment in priorities chosen with residents.
OpenAI put a grant shaped by Effingham County residents at $4.8 million, providing free school meals for all 14,000 county students. The company put a joint commitment with SB Energy toward childcare in Pike County, Ohio, at $6 million.
The blueprint proposes public terms for government tax incentives, measurable commitments and ways to recover benefits when developers fall short. It also asks developers to share purchasing plans early so local suppliers can compete, and employers to use hiring forecasts to help train residents.
