Trump urges data center construction with "dividend" for impacted communities
President Donald Trump urged data center operators to offer financial "dividends" to communities affected by their facilities. He said such payments could reduce local opposition and support more data center construction, despite concerns about energy and water use.
President Donald Trump said data center companies should provide financial payments to host communities or local residents to make the facilities more popular. In a Truth Social post, Trump argued that communities that initially opposed data centers have sometimes supported them after reaching financial agreements.
Trump has promoted data center construction as part of the effort to maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The article notes that local opposition, driven in part by concerns about electricity and water consumption, has blocked or delayed at least 75 projects during the first three months of 2026, according to Data Center Watch.