National media frequently reports concerns about the development of data centers — particularly as they relate to energy use, cost and environmental impact. These deserve serious discussion, but I believe that there are many misconceptions about how a modern data center actually operates.
Energy Efficiency
In Hawaii, consolidation improves energy efficiency as a system of local data centers is more efficient than the fragmented system they replace. A data center like our MTP Data Center is designed with sustainability in mind and replaces the hundreds of small, individually-owned, inefficient on-site server rooms across the state — reducing overall energy waste, while improving reliability and security.
Data Centers in Hawaii Can Be Designed Responsibly
I understand concerns on the continent about those colossal data centers being built by huge tech companies. The Hawaii experience is vastly different, with modern local data centers like MTP Data Center that are responsibility designed.
Our MTP Data Center uses absolutely no water in its cooling operations. It was designed with a high-efficiency coolant-only cooling system — while others are designed to use water. I understand the concerns of communities about water usage, but that is not an issue at all with the MTP Data Center.
As for power, the MTP Data Center was designed responsibly to optimize power usage. It has on-site solar for renewable power generation and aligns with Hawaii’s broader clean-energy goals.
Economic Benefits
I believe that data centers are wise economic investments. Modern data centers like ours that are thoughtfully built to the right scale can be a meaningful part of Hawaii’s economy.
Appropriately sized and thoughtfully designed local data centers create and support stable, well-paying, permanent jobs for local people. These jobs cannot be moved out of the state, nor can they be automated. Hawaii must continue to develop STEM/technical jobs to keep our educated young people here — or bring them home. These jobs include technicians, facility operators, network administrators and cyber security professionals.
Artificial Intelligence & the Workforce
A discussion of data centers is integrally connected to the development of A.I. As its use further grows here, data centers will create even more local jobs focused on deploying and managing A.I. systems. For far too long, we have watched our brightest students graduate with degrees in computer science, engineering, and IT, only to pack their bags for the mainland to find competitive salaries. We call it the “brain drain.” Anchoring AI infrastructure in Hawaii creates a robust, localized tech ecosystem. From the hundreds of trade jobs required for construction, to the long-term, high-paying careers in facility management, network engineering, and cybersecurity, data centers give our kamaʻāina a reason to stay home.