OpenAI publishes National Community Compact: no NDAs with officials, full power costs paid

OpenAI's post "Setting a new standard for responsible AI infrastructure" introduces two documents:

- The National Community Compact, which sets out what communities can expect at every future campus OpenAI owns and operates.

- The Compute Campus Policy Blueprint, which proposes public policy to give residents "a meaningful voice," protect "families from new costs," and share AI's economic gains.

The concrete commitments are:

- A separate local compact for each campus.

- Engaging residents early enough to shape project plans.

- A local point of contact.

- Dropping NDAs with public officials.

- Covering the full cost of electricity.

- Water plans for each site.

This builds on OpenAI's January Stargate Community commitments and on site-specific deals in Effingham County, Georgia, and the Ports Pike project in Ohio.

The context is political. Voters rejected data centers in 40 of 41 midterm ballot measures, and NDAs that kept local officials from discussing projects had become a flashpoint. OpenAI is trying to set the industry standard before legislators do. xAI's on-site jet-engine generators in Mississippi show the opposite approach.

Community reaction has been cool. On r/OpenAI, commenters argued that NDA removal and transparency pledges do not address the core concerns about water, power and grid strain. The compact also covers only campuses OpenAI owns and operates, not capacity leased from partners. The real test is whether local compacts are enforceable, and whether the first new projects under them win approval.