OpenAI Pledges Data Center Concessions After Votes

The AI company published a National Community Compact covering future sites it owns and operates, following midterm election results that went against most data center ballot measures.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Data Centers

OpenAI Pledges Data Center Concessions After Votes

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Would you welcome a data centre being built in your community?

In the 2026 midterms, candidates who promised to freeze new data center development won governor's races in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Michigan. OpenAI followed by publishing a National Community Compact covering future sites it owns and operates.

Why it matters

Voter opposition to data centers is now affecting where and how AI infrastructure gets built across the United States. Tech firms are increasingly weighing sites outside the country, according to Meta president Dina Powell McCormick.

Of 41 data center-related ballot measures voted on in the 2026 midterms, 40 went against the facilities. Analyst Brad Gerstner said as much as 35% of US data center construction planned for next year is now at risk, though the precise effect on individual projects remains unclear.

The players

Sam Altman

Sam Altman is the chief executive of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, and led the internal discussion with employees about data centers.

OpenAI

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research and deployment company that publishes the National Community Compact covering its future data center sites.

Gina Hinojosa

Gina Hinojosa is the governor-elect of Texas, who said projects already permitted in the state will be allowed to finish construction.

Dina Powell McCormick

Dina Powell McCormick is president of Meta, who said tech firms are increasingly weighing sites outside the country and that building new US facilities will be harder.

Brad Gerstner

Brad Gerstner is an investor who said as much as 35% of US data center construction planned for next year is now at risk.

The details

OpenAI will not ask public officials to sign non-disclosure agreements, barring narrow protections for security information and trade secrets. The company will pay the full cost of the electricity it uses at future sites and will publish site-level water and power use and release independent noise studies before operations begin.

November 3, 2026: US midterm results released, with data center ballot measures going against facilities.
November 4, 2026: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman holds an internal Q&A where employees ask about data centers and public mood.
November 5, 2026: OpenAI publishes its National Community Compact.
2027: Texas data center projects permitted before the election are due for completion.

Tech Race

The 2026 midterm results on data center ballot measures, with 40 of 41 going against facilities, mark a turn in local opposition to AI infrastructure buildout. OpenAI's compact responds to that turn by committing to pay full electricity costs and publish site-level water and power data.

Residents near planned data center sites may see changes in how projects are permitted, with OpenAI committing to publish water, power and noise data before operations begin. Households in communities with new facilities could also see electricity costs tied more directly to the facilities' own usage.

The takeaway

Local voting now carries real weight in where AI data centers get built, so residents who want a say should watch their governor's races and local ballot measures. Companies are responding with public commitments on electricity, water and noise.