Analysis
OpenAI pledges to end NDAs with public officials and cut power use at peak hours, and is reported to be weighing a reset of its 2027 capacity
OpenAI promises no NDAs with officials at its future campuses and lower peak-hour power use; the WSJ says its 2027 capacity is under discussion.
On November 5, 2026, OpenAI published a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint. For its future compute campuses that it owns and operates, the company says it will stop using NDAs with public officials, use less power at peak hours and publish data on energy, water and noise. According to the Wall Street Journal, its leaders also discussed on November 4 whether to reset their expectations for 2027 data center capacity. That is a discussion reported by one source, not an announced decision.
The essentials
- What is established: the commitments were published on November 5 and cover sites owned and operated by OpenAI. NDAs with public officials are dropped, except for security information, trade secrets or sensitive data.
- A nuance: this is about NDAs with elected and public officials for future sites, not all of OpenAI's confidentiality agreements.
- The 2027 capacity: the Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar, says leaders discussed whether to reset expectations. We found no decision and no OpenAI comment.
- What is missing: numeric peak-reduction targets, the publication schedule, independent oversight, and the status of leased or partner-run sites.
What do OpenAI's commitments contain?
According to Data Center Dynamics, OpenAI says it will give residents regular chances to weigh in on projects, name a point of contact for the life of a campus, and stop signing NDAs with public officials, with narrow exceptions.
Tech Insider adds that the company promises to cut its use at peak periods and return electricity to the grid, without publishing a megawatt target. ShiftDelete.net reports that OpenAI will cover the full cost of the electricity and grid equipment serving its campuses, publish each site's water and electricity use and favor closed-loop or low-water cooling. We could not read OpenAI's own documents.
What do they cover, and what do they leave open?
The scope is limited to sites owned and operated by OpenAI. Data Center Dynamics notes it is unclear whether this includes most of the capacity OpenAI leases or develops with partners.
What does the Wall Street Journal report about 2027 capacity?
According to a FourWeekMBA summary, the Journal reports that on Wednesday, November 4, OpenAI leaders were discussing whether the election results meant resetting expectations for next year's data center capacity. In the same coverage, investor Brad Gerstner estimates that 25% to 35% of 2027 US construction could be at risk, against a consensus of 43 gigawatts. That figure is an investor's, not OpenAI's. The context: in midterm exit polls, 56% of voters said AI data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote (Data Center Dynamics).
Summary table
| Point | What sources say as of November 5, 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Publication | November 5, 2026: National Community Compact and Compute Campus Policy Blueprint | ShiftDelete.net, Tech Insider |
| NDAs | NDAs with public officials dropped for future sites; narrow exceptions | Data Center Dynamics |
| Peak hours | Cut use at peak and return electricity to the grid; targets not published | Tech Insider |
| Energy cost | Cover the full cost of electricity and grid equipment | ShiftDelete.net |
| Transparency | Publish water and electricity use per site | ShiftDelete.net |
| Scope | Sites owned and operated by OpenAI; leased or partner sites unclear | Data Center Dynamics |
| 2027 capacity | Leaders discussed a reset, per one WSJ source; no decision | WSJ, via FourWeekMBA |
Frequently asked questions
Will OpenAI stop signing confidentiality clauses altogether?
No. The pledge covers NDAs with public officials for future sites it owns and operates, with exceptions for security, trade secrets and sensitive information.
Has OpenAI cut its 2027 capacity?
That is not established. The Wall Street Journal reports an internal discussion, based on a single source. We found no OpenAI announcement.
Method and limits
Sources as of November 5, 2026. We did not read OpenAI's documents or the Wall Street Journal article, which is behind a paywall: we cite Data Center Dynamics, ShiftDelete.net, Tech Insider and a FourWeekMBA summary. The 2027 capacity report rests on one anonymous person. We tested nothing.
Sources
- Data Center Dynamics: OpenAI promises to drop NDAs and increase community transparency (verified 2026-11-05)
- ShiftDelete.net: OpenAI Community Compact drops NDAs, covers power bills (verified 2026-11-05)
- Tech Insider: OpenAI ends data center NDAs (verified 2026-11-05)
- NewsBytes: OpenAI drops NDAs, reworks data centers (verified 2026-11-05)
- FourWeekMBA: OpenAI said to weigh resetting 2027 capacity expectations (verified 2026-11-05)
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