OpenAI CFO pledges to cover data center power costs and grid investment

OpenAI CFO Defends AI Data Centers After us Midterm election 2026

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Published Sunday, November 8, 2026 · 8:18 AM EST

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a November 6 CNBC interview that the company would cover its energy costs rather than pass them to households and would work with utilities on grid investment. Her remarks followed OpenAI's November 5 National Community Compact, which commits the company to paying electricity and supporting infrastructure costs for future campuses it owns and operates. The framework also promises financial assurances to protect other electricity customers if projects are delayed, reduced or canceled after infrastructure investment. The compact calls for site-level electricity and water reporting. Its commitments do not automatically extend to third-party facilities in OpenAI's computing network.

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