OpenAI pitches data center power plants as a way to protect nearby areas

OpenAI's Grid Protectors Program aims to mitigate the negative impacts of data centers by providing a resource that utilities can call on during emergencies, and the company is piloting the program at a data center in Effingham County, Georgia. The program promises to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power, enough to power air conditioners in around 700,000 homes. This approach is part of OpenAI's effort to rebrand its data centers as 'compute campuses', in response to growing public opposition to data centers due to environmental concerns and high energy consumption. Several states have enacted laws to prevent AI companies from passing energy costs on to residents, and a recent study found that powering proposed Texas data center projects could undo decades of air quality gains over five years.