Trump says companies should pay 'dividend' to communities to make data centres popular
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that companies building data centres should pay a “dividend” to the communities where they are sited if they want to make the developments popular.
US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that data centre builders should provide financial dividends to communities hosting these facilities. In a Truth Social post, Trump explained that when a company makes a financial arrangement with a community, unpopular data centres can become extremely well-received. The issue of data centres has become politically contentious, as these facilities consume large amounts of water and power, sparking opposition from voters of various political backgrounds.
Recognizing this, the Trump administration has emphasized AI development to keep pace with China, with officials noting the evolving voter reaction. Trump's administration has mandated that new and large data centres must generate their own electricity and either generate revenue by selling excess power to the community or grid.
Trump urged tech companies to build their own power plants to shield consumers from rising energy costs. Recently, AI pioneers like Anthropic and Elon Musk have proposed plans to distribute some profits to the public good, with Anthropic committing to allocate 5% of its shares and Musk pledging a SpaceX share for every child in America.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
