Trump Calls for Data Centre Firms to Pay Communities

President Donald Trump said data-centre companies should provide a financial “dividend” to the communities hosting their facilities, arguing that such deals can make projects facing local opposition more popular. In a Truth Social post on October 21, he also said new and large data centres should generate their own electricity and give or sell surplus power to nearby communities or the grid. Trump described financial agreements as a way to address concerns about data-centre developments. The facilities support artificial-intelligence computing but can place substantial demands on electricity, water and other local resources, concerns that have contributed to opposition in communities across the United States. The post did not specify how much companies should pay, how a dividend would be structured or what precise obligations firms would face. It also did not set out implementation or enforcement details. The comments express Trump’s proposed approach; the sources do not describe a finalized policy or binding requirements tied to the proposal. Trump’s remarks on power supply echo his earlier stated position that major technology companies should build power plants for their...