OpenAI ends NDAs with public officials for data center projects

OpenAI announced new commitments for communities where it builds data centers, including that it will no longer use non-disclosure agreements with public officials for future projects.

NDA and community commitments

OpenAI said it will stop using NDAs with public officials when negotiating or discussing future data center sites. The company said it will allow “only narrow protections covering legitimate security information, trade secrets, or proprietary or competitively sensitive information.”

The commitments apply to every future “compute campus” OpenAI owns and operates, its rebranding phrase for data centers. Each campus will have a “local compact” reflecting local priorities.

Other commitments include:

• Paying “the full cost” of electricity it uses and the “infrastructure needed to serve us.”
• Publishing the jobs it expects to create and reporting on hiring.
• Soliciting community input and publishing construction plans.
• Protecting local resources and prioritizing closed-loop water systems.

Election context

The announcement came after voters in the midterms roundly rejected rapid expansion of AI data centers. CNBC reported that out of 41 local ballot measures across 10 states, voters backed restrictions or rejected pro-development measures for all but one, according to an analysis by Ballotpedia and additional results gathered by CNBC. Tech Insider reported that two accounts disagreed on the exact outcomes, with one saying voters rejected new data centers in 40 of 41 measures and another saying three measures would temporarily pause development.

Opposition to data centers mounted over the summer over concerns about environmental harms, rising utility bills, and job loss.

Company statements

OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told reporters during a Wednesday briefing: “What we’re doing with this blueprint is really laying out the best lessons that we have learned and committing to applying them as they go forward.” He also said: “If you’re going to go into a community and you’re going to want to build in that community, you do have to do it with the community and get the community input.”

OpenAI published a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint on November 5, 2026. The blueprint encourages policymakers to enact similar commitments as laws.

Why it matters

The policy shift follows sustained local opposition to AI data center projects and aims to rebuild community trust as OpenAI pursues major data center projects in Georgia and Ohio. The company said the blueprint has been in the works since August and that Lehane met with dozens of lawmakers and candidates since then.

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Sources

• theverge.com: OpenAI is stepping back from NDAs for data center projects | The Verge
• cnbc.com: OpenAI releases new data center policy proposal after election rebuke
• tech-insider.org: OpenAI Ends Data Center NDAs After 41 Votes 2026

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.