Washington:US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged operators of large artificial intelligence data centers to strike financial agreements with local communities and pay them dividends to ease public backlash over rising energy costs.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Trump suggested that if companies want to make their data centers more acceptable to the public, they should pay the community or individuals within the community a 'dividend.' He argued that projects facing fierce local opposition quickly gain acceptance once direct economic pacts are reached.

Trump emphasized that facilities should produce their own power rather than relying on public utilities. He asserted that new and large data centers should "make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid," stating that such measures would prevent utility inflation and potentially lead to "a substantial decrease" in electricity rates.

The US currently has more than 5,000 data centers, with the number of facilities expected to expand by approximately 9% annually through 2030, as reported by the US Department of Commerce. The directive comes amid increasing tension over power consumption driven by the artificial intelligence boom ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Public surveys indicate strong bipartisan opposition to local developments, with a Gallup poll revealing that 71% of Americans resist such projects due to concerns about increased residential utility bills. Trump's policy builds upon his voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge established in March, which called on technology firms to cover all power generation and transmission costs.