OpenAI has asked the Trump administration to widen the scope of the Chips Act’s 35% tax credit to include AI servers, data centers, and electrical grid components — a move the company says would help unlock private capital and speed up America’s AI infrastructure development.
In a letter sent to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, urged policymakers to expand the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC) beyond semiconductor manufacturing.
“The broader coverage of the AMIC will lower the effective cost of capital, de-risk early investment, and unlock private capital to help alleviate bottlenecks and accelerate the AI build in the U.S.,” Lehane wrote.
The company also proposed streamlining the permitting and environmental review process for AI infrastructure projects and establishing a strategic reserve of key raw materials — such as copper, aluminum, and rare earth minerals — essential for data center construction.
Clarifying statements from executives
The letter, originally published on October 27, gained renewed attention after OpenAI executives discussed the company’s infrastructure plans at a Wall Street Journal event this week.
CFO Sarah Friar initially said the government should “backstop” OpenAI’s infrastructure loans but later clarified on LinkedIn that she had “misspoke,” emphasizing that the company is not seeking government guarantees for its projects.
CEO Sam Altman also reaffirmed this stance, saying that OpenAI does not “have or want government guarantees for OpenAI datacenters.” Altman stressed that “governments should not pick winners or losers” and that taxpayers should not be responsible for corporate losses.
OpenAI’s growth ambitions
Altman revealed that OpenAI expects to surpass $20 billion in annualized revenue by the end of 2025, with projections reaching “hundreds of billions” by 2030.
He also disclosed that the company has made $1.4 trillion in capital commitments for AI infrastructure over the next eight years — signaling one of the largest private investments in technology in recent memory.
