Trump Pushes ‘Community Dividend’ Deal to Ease Opposition to Data Centres

US President Donald Trump has called on data centre companies to share the financial benefits of their projects with local communities, arguing that direct payments and investment could help win public support for the facilities.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump urged operators to pay communities or individual residents a “dividend” in exchange for greater acceptance of their projects. He said he had seen opposition ease in areas where companies reached financial agreements with local people.

“I have watched the process closely, and Data Centers that were highly unpopular in a certain area, have become extremely popular when a financial deal is struck. MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!! GREAT FOR THE U.S.A.,” Trump wrote.

His comments come as opposition to data centre construction grows in the United States and other regions, with concerns over the facilities’ environmental footprint and demand for electricity becoming increasingly prominent ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

Nebius Open to Sharing Benefits With Local Communities

Nebius, an AI infrastructure company, has expressed openness to exploring ways of directing some of the economic benefits of data centre projects back to nearby communities.

Marc Boroditsky, the company’s chief revenue officer, told CNBC that Nebius was “100% in principle” willing to discuss community investment following Trump’s proposal.

Speaking on the sidelines of Nvidia’s GTC Berlin conference, Boroditsky said companies could explore mechanisms to ensure residents benefit more directly from the facilities operating in their areas.

He pointed to the tax revenue already generated by data centres and suggested that additional benefits could come through more direct economic opportunities.

“A dividend is being paid in different forms — investing in education, job development, overall economic development. The concept that the president identified... it’s not crazy to consider something like that,” Boroditsky said.

Data Centre Expansion Faces Growing Opposition

The rapid expansion of data centres has become a contentious issue as companies race to build infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence. Residents and policymakers have raised concerns about water consumption, electricity demand, rising power bills and the amount of land required for large facilities.

Several US states are considering moratoriums on new data centre projects amid growing resistance to their construction and environmental impact.

Access to electricity is another major obstacle. Power grids in the United States and Europe are facing mounting applications from energy-intensive users, including data centre operators, adding pressure to existing infrastructure.

Trump said he had been monitoring the sector closely and argued that developers should take greater responsibility for meeting their energy requirements.

Trump Wants Data Centres to Generate Their Own Power

Trump said he had reached a firm conclusion that new and large data centres should be required to produce their own electricity. He added that surplus power could be supplied or sold to local communities or the electricity grid.

In his Truth Social post, Trump argued that this approach could prevent data centre projects from pushing up electricity prices and might even lead to substantial reductions.

The proposal comes as data centre stocks face pressure amid concerns about the sector’s financial health. The rising cost of AI infrastructure is prompting companies to rely increasingly on debt markets to fund their expansion.

HSBC Chief Urges Caution Over Data Centre Financing

Georges Elhedery, chief executive of HSBC, has warned investors against taking an indiscriminate approach to financing data centre projects.

Speaking to CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Tuesday, Elhedery said investors needed to assess the quality of tenancy agreements and the pricing of contracts before committing funds.

“One has to be selective,” he said, warning that not every project offered the same level of financial strength or reliability.

His comments reflect wider concerns about the cost of building AI infrastructure and whether all planned projects can generate sufficient returns.

Trump’s proposal to link data centre development with direct community benefits could offer companies a way to address local opposition. However, the expansion of the sector remains tied to wider questions over financing, electricity supply, environmental pressures and the distribution of economic gains.