President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that large data centers operating in the United States must generate their own electricity and share surplus power with local communities or the electrical grid. In a Truth Social post, Trump also urged data center companies to pay financial "dividends" to communities and individuals to build public support for their projects.

Trump wrote that he had been "watching Data Centers very closely" and concluded that "new and large, in some cases gigantic, Data Centers are mandated by me to make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid." He argued that this approach could prevent electricity price increases and potentially lead to "a substantial decrease" in costs.

The president separately suggested that companies seeking to gain community acceptance should negotiate financial arrangements with residents. "If companies want to make their Data Centers popular, pay the community, and/or individuals within the community, a 'dividend,'" Trump said. He noted that "Data Centers that were highly unpopular in a certain area, have become extremely popular when a financial deal is struck," and called on companies to "MAKE DEALS, and get them built."

Trump's announcement follows efforts earlier this year in which he persuaded data center companies to pledge they would supply or procure their own power while minimizing disruption to surrounding communities. Despite those commitments, opposition to data center projects has continued to grow across the country. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from June, 64 percent of Americans disapprove of the fast construction pace for data centers, and 57 percent oppose new data centers in their local communities. A Pew Research Center report found that more than 1,500 new data centers are in various stages of development nationwide, with three-quarters planned for the South and Midwest.

Some companies have attempted to preempt local backlash through direct investment in communities. Amazon and Meta have each pledged at least $1 billion to communities hosting their data centers. These initiatives have not prevented many towns and states from pursuing moratoriums on new approvals or rolling back tax exemptions that previously attracted such projects. According to Data Center Watch, $64 billion in U.S. data center projects have been blocked or delayed by local opposition.

Trump has been a consistent advocate for rapid data center expansion, framing it as essential to U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence against China. In August, he warned communities against resisting data center development, stating: "The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor."

Trump's announcement does not specify implementation details, including how electricity-generation requirements would be enforced, what form community dividends would take, or whether the administration intends to introduce formal policy or regulatory mandates. The post also does not clarify the legal or regulatory mechanisms that would make such requirements binding on private companies.