OpenAI Seeks U.S. Support for Expanding AI Infrastructure
A newly disclosed letter from OpenAI sheds light on how the company is seeking federal assistance for its large-scale data center expansion plans.
The correspondence, written by OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane and addressed to Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, suggests that the U.S. government broaden the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC). Lehane proposed extending this 35% tax credit—originally created for semiconductor manufacturing under the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act—to also include components for the electrical grid, AI servers, and large-scale data centers.
According to the letter, expanding the AMIC would “lower the effective cost of capital, reduce early investment risks, and attract private financing to speed up AI infrastructure development across the United States.”
OpenAI also asked the government to streamline the permitting and environmental approval processes for AI-related construction projects. Additionally, the company recommended establishing a national reserve of essential raw materials—such as copper, aluminum, and processed rare earth elements—required to build and maintain advanced AI infrastructure.
Although OpenAI originally published the letter on October 27, it drew little attention until this week, when statements from company executives sparked renewed discussion about its requests from the incoming administration.
Clarifications from OpenAI Leadership
At a Wall Street Journal event, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar stated that the government should “backstop” the company’s infrastructure loans. However, she later clarified on LinkedIn that she misspoke, explaining, “OpenAI is not seeking a government backstop for our infrastructure commitments. I used the word ‘backstop,’ and it created confusion.”
CEO Sam Altman also commented, emphasizing that OpenAI does not “have or want government guarantees for our data centers.” He added that “governments should not pick winners or losers, and taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible for companies’ failed business decisions.” Still, Altman acknowledged that OpenAI had discussed potential loan guarantees specifically tied to supporting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. In the same statement, he shared that the company expects to surpass a $20 billion annualized revenue run rate by the end of 2025, with ambitions to reach hundreds of billions by 2030, supported by $1.4 trillion in capital commitments over the next eight years.
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