Key takeaways: OpenAI has issued a policy platform along with a set of commitments, stating that it will apply these principles to data centers it owns and operates in the future. The company said its projects will gather community input and publicly disclose construction plans while protecting the interests of electricity ratepayers. Opposition to data centers intensified through the summer, and voters delivered a strongly negative verdict on data centers in the midterm elections.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke on October 27, 2026, at Oracle AI World in Las Vegas. Just two days after voters used the ballot box to express their views on the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, OpenAI unveiled a series of commitments on Thursday, reiterating that it will fully bear the electricity costs of its data centers. In the commitment document, the AI company stated that for data centers it owns and operates, it will seek community input, make construction plans public, and no longer sign confidentiality agreements with public officials. In addition, OpenAI called on policymakers in its policy platform to elevate similar commitments into law.
"This platform essentially lays out the best practices we have accumulated and commits to following through on implementation," said Chris Lehane, OpenAI's head of global affairs, during a media briefing on Wednesday. "This helps set a very high baseline for how the industry operates going forward." On Tuesday, American voters cast a strongly negative vote on data centers. According to Ballotpedia data and election results compiled on Wednesday: among 41 local ballot measures across 10 states nationwide, only one measure won voter support; the rest either had voters backing restrictions on data centers or rejecting proposals that supported development.
Over the summer, opposition to AI data centers emerged in both major U.S. political camps. Ordinary people troubled by inflation, rising food prices, and persistently high gasoline prices worried that such facilities would worsen environmental damage, drive up utility bills, and cause job losses. In the eyes of many, data centers have become a tangible embodiment of broad public resentment and anxiety toward artificial intelligence. AI companies such as OpenAI rely on data centers to serve users and develop new models, and they are striving to rapidly expand computing infrastructure to meet market demand. The company told investors in February that it aims to reach cumulative computing investment of about $600 billion by 2030. Since then, OpenAI has successively announced two giant data center projects: Effingham County and PORTS-Pike.
This year, OpenAI has repeatedly pledged to protect electricity ratepayers and invest in local communities. Lehane said the latest commitments further improve on a series of previous measures. The policy platform began preparation in August, and since then he has held talks with dozens of lawmakers and election candidates. "Carrying out these communications now can further advance the relevant work. By the time the new Congress formally takes office and convenes in late January, a large amount of preparatory work will already be completed," Lehane said.
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