Trump Urges AI Data Centers to Pay Dividends to Local Communities

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on operators of large artificial intelligence data centers to reach financial agreements with local communities and provide residents with dividends to ease opposition over rising electricity costs.

“If companies want to make their data centers popular, pay the community, and/or individuals within the community, a ‘dividend,’” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, arguing that direct financial benefits could help secure public support for projects facing strong local opposition.

Trump also insisted that data centers generate their own electricity rather than placing additional pressure on public utilities. He said new and large facilities must “make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid.”

He argued that the measures would help prevent increases in utility bills and could lead to “a substantial decrease” in electricity rates.

The United States has more than 5,000 data centers, with the number of facilities projected to grow by approximately 9% annually through 2030, according to the US Department of Commerce.

Trump’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the electricity demands of the artificial intelligence boom, with communities increasingly questioning the impact of large data center projects on household energy costs ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Public opposition has emerged across party lines. A Gallup poll cited in the report found that 71% of Americans opposed local data center developments over concerns that the facilities would increase residential electricity bills.

The proposal builds on Trump’s voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge, introduced in March, which called on technology companies to cover the costs of electricity generation and transmission associated with their operations.