OpenAI pledges to pay for electricity for its data centers — CNBC

In the United States, OpenAI has pledged to fully cover electricity costs for future data centers that it will own and operate. The commitment was included in a new set of principles for such facilities, CNBC reports.

Data center commitments

The company also said it would involve local communities in discussions of projects, publish construction plans, and not enter into non-disclosure agreements with officials. OpenAI pledged to protect electricity ratepayers.

In its policy document, the company called on lawmakers to enshrine similar requirements in legislation. OpenAI's head of global affairs, Chris Lehane, told reporters that the document summarizes the company's experience and is intended to set a high minimum standard for industry participants.

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Voter reaction

The announcement came two days after local votes in the United States, where voters mostly supported restrictions on data centers or rejected initiatives in favor of their construction. According to an analysis by Ballotpedia and results compiled by CNBC, of 41 local initiatives in 10 states, voters supported a development-friendly initiative in only one case.

Over the summer, opposition to data centers for artificial intelligence grew among supporters of both political parties. Consumers concerned about inflation, food and fuel prices feared that such facilities could worsen environmental harm, raise utility bills, and lead to job losses.

OpenAI uses data centers to serve customers and develop new AI models. In February, the company told investors that it planned to spend a total of $600 billion on computing capacity by 2030, and later announced large-scale data center projects in Georgia and Ohio.