US President Donald Trump has urged companies operating data centres to share financial benefits with local communities to make the facilities more acceptable to residents, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Speaking on Wednesday, Trump also stressed the need to build more data centres as the United States seeks to maintain its dominance in artificial intelligence (AI).
However, data centre projects have faced growing opposition in several parts of the country, largely over concerns about their heavy consumption of electricity and water.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said companies should provide local communities and residents with a financial share of the benefits if they want their data centres to gain public support.
He added that he had closely monitored the issue and observed that projects which were initially unpopular had become widely accepted after financial agreements were reached with local communities.
“Make a deal, and build them,” Trump wrote, urging companies to negotiate with residents rather than allow opposition to stall construction.
According to Data Center Watch, an organisation monitoring local resistance to the industry, at least 75 data centre projects were halted or delayed due to community opposition during the first three months of 2026.
Public opinion surveys have also indicated opposition to data centres among supporters of different political parties in the United States.
The issue has emerged as a point of debate ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3, with the expansion of data centre infrastructure increasingly drawing scrutiny over its environmental and economic impact.
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