Legislation targets data centers in Hawaii County
A Hawaii County Council Committee unanimously approved forwarding a bill to ban industrial-scale data centers on the island, aiming to amend the county zoning code to define and restrict such facilities. Community members testified in strong support of the bill, citing concerns over the high water and electricity usage of data centers and their potential negative impacts on the island's limited resources and quality of life.
A Hawaii County Council Committee unanimously approved forwarding Bill 170, which proposes a ban on industrial-scale data centers on the island, after hearing supportive testimony from numerous residents. The Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development voted 8-0 to advance the measure, which seeks to amend the county zoning code to clearly define industrial-scale data centers and prevent developers from exploiting existing "data processing facilities" zoning loopholes.
Community members voiced strong opposition to the potential development of large data centers, citing significant concerns over their high water and electricity consumption. Kailua-Kona resident Noelle Lindenman and Pepeekeo resident Charmaine Banther emphasized that Hawaii Island's isolated setting and limited natural resources, particularly water and energy, cannot support hyper-scale data centers without driving up residential utility costs and diminishing quality of life through noise pollution from cooling fans. Testifiers also recounted negative experiences from mainland communities, including issues with new transmission lines and environmental degradation.
Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball, the bill's author, acknowledged some benefits but concluded that the negatives, including effects on electricity prices, water use, and noise, mean data centers do not belong in Hawaii County. Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas echoed concerns about resource sustainability, while Planning Director Jeff Darrow, though unaware of any current permit requests, affirmed that widespread AI use does not necessitate allowing data centers throughout the county.