Trump Says Financial Deals Helped Some Data Centers Gain Local Support

President Donald Trump urged data center operators to pay host communities a dividend, saying local financial benefits can help projects win support as electricity and water demands fuel disputes.

In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump said some projects that had been unpopular locally gained support after financial agreements. He did not specify a payment amount, formula or deadline.

Separately, Trump called for new, large data centers to generate their own electricity and supply or sell excess power to nearby communities or the grid. He made a similar call in February, urging large technology companies to build power plants for their data centers to help keep consumer electricity bills from rising.

The administration’s March 4 Ratepayer Protection Pledge is a separate measure. Participating companies committed to pay for the power supplies and grid upgrades their data centers need. The pledge allows companies to build, bring or buy power and includes local hiring and workforce development commitments.

Data centers’ heavy electricity and water use has become a political flashpoint in communities across the United States.