Honolulu County, Hawaii: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Urban Honolulu, and the communities of Kapolei and Urban Honolulu
Honolulu County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Honolulu County, 83% of Hawaii's total. Honolulu County is home to Urban Honolulu, plus the unincorporated communities of Kapolei, Urban Honolulu and Mililani Mauka. 192 MW of new generation is planned here across 18 units, led by Puuloa Energy LLC (other technologies), the 2nd largest pipeline among Hawaii's counties. 76 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,394 MW of capacity, 60% of it petroleum, the largest fleet in Hawaii. 646 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Honolulu County
Honolulu County is home to Urban Honolulu, plus the unincorporated communities of Kapolei, Urban Honolulu and Mililani Mauka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kapolei, Urban Honolulu, Mililani Mauka, Ahuimanu, Aiea, East Honolulu, East Kapolei, Ewa Beach, Ewa Gentry, Ewa Villages, Halawa, Haleiwa, Hauula, Heeia, Helemano, Hickam Housing, Iroquois Point, Kaaawa, Kahaluu, Kahuku, Kailua, Kalaeloa, Kaneohe, Kaneohe Base, Kawela Bay, Ko Olina, Laie, Maili, Makaha, Makaha Valley, Makakilo, Maunawili, Mililani Town, Mokuleia, Nanakuli, Ocean Pointe, Pearl City, Punaluu, Pupukea, Royal Kunia and 15 more.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Honolulu County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,012,334 | 988,703 | ▼ 2.3% | 1st of 5 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 470,002 | 455,202 | ▼ 3.1% | 3rd of 4 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,232 | $73,144 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,711 | 28,524 | ▲ 6.8% | 2nd of 2 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,749 | 4,027 | ▲ 7.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 294 | 412 | ▲ 40.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 646 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 304 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 192 MW | 8% of today's fleet | 2nd of 4 by size |
304 MW has retired here since 2019, including AES Hawaii (coal, 203 MW, 2022). Construction employs 28,524, up 6.8% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 4,027, up 7.4% since 2019 against up 7.0% statewide, at an average $96,145 a year. Employers here counted 455,202 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 4 Hawaii counties). Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Hawaiian Electric Co Inc is the largest utility serving Honolulu County. Its residential customers paid an average 42.87¢/kWh in 2024, below the 43.41¢ median for Hawaii utilities. 988,703 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020, 1st of 5 Hawaii counties by population.
Who powers Honolulu County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +342 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Honolulu County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Electric Co Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 276,206 | 42.87¢ | 32% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 32
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 1,429 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 355 MW | 15% |
| Battery storage | 326 MW | 14% |
| Other technologies | 158 MW | 7% |
| Wind | 127 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahe | Hawaiian Electric Co Inc | Petroleum | 610 MW | 1963 |
| Waiau | Hawaiian Electric Co Inc | Petroleum | 375 MW | 1959 |
| Kalaeloa Cogen Plant | Kalaeloa Partners LP | Petroleum | 299 MW | 1989 |
| Kapolei Energy Storage | Kapolei Energy Storage I, LLC | Battery storage | 185 MW | 2023 |
| Ho'Ohana Solar 1 | Ho'Ohana Solar 1 LLC | Solar | 117 MW | 2025 |
| Campbell Industrial Park | Hawaiian Electric Co Inc | Petroleum | 113 MW | 2009 |
Planned generation 18
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES Waiawa Phase 2 Solar | Batteries | 30 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | AES Distributed Energy |
| AES Waiawa Phase 2 Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 30 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | AES Distributed Energy |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| Puuloa Energy | Other Waste Biomass | 9 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Puuloa Energy LLC |
| AES Mountain View Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 7 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | AES Distributed Energy |
| AES Mountain View Solar | Batteries | 7 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | AES Distributed Energy |
| Puuloa Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Puuloa Solar LLC |
| Puuloa Solar | Batteries | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Puuloa Solar LLC |
| Kalaeloa Home Lands Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AES Hawaii | Coal | 203 MW | 2022 |
| Waiau | Petroleum | 100 MW | 2024 |
| Campbell Industrial Park BESS | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Honolulu County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 455,202 | $73,144 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 28,524 | $100,373 | 1.18 |
| Electrical contractors | 4,027 | $96,145 | 1.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 412 | $181,706 | 0.29 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Honolulu County
10 data centers in Honolulu County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
More of Hawaii
Honolulu County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Honolulu County, Hawaii?
1 utility has service territory in Honolulu County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Hawaiian Electric Co Inc. The largest, Hawaiian Electric Co Inc, charged residential customers 42.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Urban Honolulu, HI in?
Urban Honolulu is in Honolulu County, Hawaii. About 341,868 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Honolulu County?
32 operating plants with 2,394 MW of capacity. The largest is Kahe (610 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Honolulu County?
192 MW across 18 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 76 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Puuloa Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Honolulu County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Honolulu County.
Is Honolulu County adding jobs?
Employers counted 455,202 jobs in 2025 against 470,002 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 26,711 to 28,524.
Does Honolulu County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Honolulu County. Hawaii has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.