OpenAI this week laid out a new framework to govern the buildout of large AI data centers, positioning local communities at the center of its approach to responsible AI infrastructure. The company published a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint that together define commitments the company will apply to campuses it owns and operate, and propose public-policy changes aimed at ensuring consistent protections for communities hosting compute projects.
At the core of OpenAI’s plan is a promise that each future compute campus it owns and operates will be governed by a locally shaped compact. The compact process is intended to begin with early resident engagement, include a local point of contact for the life of the campus, and result in public annual reporting on progress against commitments. OpenAI says the goal is to give residents and local leaders a clear voice in project design and a transparent record of outcomes over time.
OpenAI lists a set of standard commitments it will apply at each campus. The company will pay energy and infrastructure costs associated with the campus and provide financial assurances ahead of major spending to protect other customers if a project is delayed, reduced, or canceled. For water and cooling, OpenAI will develop site-specific water plans, prioritize closed-loop or low-water cooling systems, and publish site-level water and electricity use. Construction plans and independent noise studies will be published before operations begin and released on an annual basis afterward.
On information-sharing, OpenAI says it will avoid broad nondisclosure agreements with public officials, reserving narrow protections only for legitimate security information, trade secrets, or competitively sensitive material. The company also commits to publishing expected jobs and working with unions and training providers to prepare local residents, reporting annually on hiring and apprenticeships, and investing in community priorities identified through local engagement.
OpenAI points to recent, locally tailored investments shaped by resident input as examples. In Effingham County, Georgia, the company supported a $4.8 million grant to provide free school meals for all 14,000 students in the county. In Pike County, Ohio, local priorities led to a joint $6 million commitment from OpenAI and SB Energy focused on childcare.
The Compute Campus Policy Blueprint outlines policy recommendations for federal, state and local governments so protections extend beyond any single developer. The blueprint addresses three broad areas: who pays for power, transparency and accountability, and keeping work local.
On power, OpenAI urges state utility commissions to require large electricity customers to cover the grid costs they add and to include protections for other customers if projects do not proceed. The company recommends utilities make it easier for campuses to connect when feasible and retain the ability to reduce deliveries during peak demand; OpenAI cites its agreement with Georgia Power at the planned Effingham County site, which permits the utility to lower power to the campus by up to 1,000 megawatts during high-demand periods. The blueprint also calls on Congress to accelerate transmission upgrades and to restore and expand tax incentives for clean electricity.
For transparency and accountability, the blueprint calls for public reporting on water, energy, noise, and hiring metrics, limits on when developers can require public officials to sign NDAs, and public disclosure of tax-incentive terms with measurable commitments and mechanisms to recover incentives if developers fail to meet obligations.
To support local economies, the blueprint recommends developers share purchasing plans early so local suppliers can compete for contracts. It also encourages employers, building trade unions, and community colleges to use hiring forecasts to train residents for roles ranging from construction electrical work to long-term maintenance of power and cooling systems.
OpenAI frames these measures as a way to make the expansion of compute capacity in the United States both more accountable and more broadly beneficial. By combining company-level commitments with recommendations for public rules, the company aims to protect local resources, expand job opportunities, and ensure communities share in the economic gains that accompany AI infrastructure investment.
The National Community Compact and Compute Campus Policy Blueprint build on earlier commitments, including the company’s Stargate Community commitments announced in January and specific agreements in Georgia and Ohio. OpenAI says the compact and blueprint reflect input from residents, local leaders, schools, and businesses and represent the next step in ongoing engagement.
Next steps from OpenAI include implementing a local compact for each campus it owns and operates and publishing annual reports on its commitments. The company also asks lawmakers to formalize rules that would apply across developers, with the aim of creating consistent protections for communities hosting compute campuses.
As more compute capacity is deployed to support advanced AI, OpenAI is seeking to set a public-facing standard for how such builds should be planned and regulated, emphasizing local control, transparency, and economic participation as central elements of responsible AI infrastructure.
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