OpenAI pledges to cover power costs at future U.S. campuses

OpenAI announced November 5 a voluntary set of commitments for future U.S. data-center campuses it owns and operates, including paying the facilities’ electricity and required infrastructure costs and providing financial assurances if projects are delayed, reduced or canceled. The company’s National Community Compact also calls for site-level reporting of water and electricity use, water plans for each campus, and publication of construction plans and independent noise studies. OpenAI said it would avoid nondisclosure agreements with public officials, except for specified security, trade-secret and commercially sensitive information. It also pledged to report expected job creation and hiring, work with unions and training providers, and make sustained investments in priorities identified by local communities. OpenAI presented the compact as a standard for its own future campuses. Its separate Compute Campus Policy Blueprint proposes that federal, state and local governments set requirements for large electricity users and other data-center developers. The proposals include making developers pay added grid costs and disclosing tax incentives alongside measurable commitments,...