OpenAI is considering renaming its largest data centers “AI compute campuses” as it seeks to improve public support for the infrastructure needed to power its artificial intelligence services. The company has not officially announced the plan, but Axios reports that the change could be introduced as soon as this week, after the November 3, 2026, US midterm elections.
The proposed wording would present the facilities as having a broader economic role rather than being simply data centers. The move comes as AI infrastructure remains part of an ongoing political debate, particularly amid concerns about electricity demand and rising energy prices across the United States.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, told Axios that AI would continue to be debated politically after the midterm elections. He also said communities should hold companies accountable and ensure that such projects deliver meaningful benefits locally.
OpenAI has previously said it would work with local communities to understand their needs. At the start of 2026, the company said it would pay its own energy costs so its operations would not increase electricity prices for local residents.
A report published in May 2026 estimated that energy prices in some US states could rise by between 6% and 29% by the end of the decade. The country is also moving toward reopening disused nuclear facilities to help meet growing demand.
OpenAI’s infrastructure expansion is continuing through the Stargate Project, which is expected to add 10 gigawatts of AI computing capacity in the United States by 2029. According to the available figures, the project is still just under halfway toward that target.
Sources: TechRadar.