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November 20262 stories

OpenAI pledges no NDAs with officials at sites it owns

Two days after US voters turned against data centres, OpenAI published a National Community Compact. It also promises to pay its full power costs. The promises are voluntary, and cover only future campuses that OpenAI owns and operates.

OpenAI published a National Community Compact on November 5, after voters rejected data centres in the US midterm elections. It says it will stop using NDAs with public officials, with narrow exceptions, pay the full cost of its electricity, and publish water, noise and energy data. Reuters says the policies had been in the works since August.

4 min read

Policy & LawNov 4

Opponents win nearly all US data centre votes so far

Voters in 10 US states decided about 40 local questions on November 3. One early count shows 33 limits approved and one measure allowing data centres. In Texas, a candidate who promised a moratorium beat Governor Greg Abbott.

Early results from the US midterm elections show opponents of data centres winning almost every local vote. Ballotpedia counted 41 measures in 10 states before the vote. By 8 a.m. Eastern Time on November 4, Redbud Consulting counted 33 restrictions approved and one measure allowing data centres, Business Insider reports. Counting continues, and some votes are only advisory.

4 min read

October 20261 story

Chips & InfrastructureOct 2

Amazon pledges $1 billion more to its data centre towns

The money over five years goes to job training, energy and water projects, and local priorities. AWS’s chief warns that more than 100 proposed moratoriums could cost the US the AI race.

Amazon said on October 2 that it will add more than $1 billion over the next five years to what it already spends in US communities that host its data centres. The programme, called Built Together, also comes with promises to stop using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies and to cover the energy costs its sites add.

3 min read

September 20261 story

Policy & LawSep 19

US House says huge data centres should pay their grid costs

The bill is only a first step.

The House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act by 417 votes to 3. It asks state regulators to consider special rules for sites above 100 megawatts, but it does not set one national price.

5 min read