Smart planning, not panic, must guide Asia’s data centre buildout
Across the United States, home to 37 per cent of the world’s 10,800 or so data centres, 2026 has been awash with protests against this infrastructure buildout. On July 18 alone, 142 protests were reported across 42 states. According to Data Centre Watch, 75 US data centre projects worth US$130 billion have been blocked or delayed. According to recent Pew research, the more Americans know about…
The proliferation of data centres in the United States has sparked protests across 42 states in 2026, with 75 projects worth US$130 billion blocked or delayed. Americans are increasingly concerned about the impact of data centres on energy costs, the environment, noise, property values, local jobs, and rising taxes. In Asia, however, there has been comparatively little controversy over the rapid growth of data centres in China and digital hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore.
This contrast in attitudes can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, a sizable portion of AI-specialised computing power is concentrated in just two regions: the United States and China. Secondly, data centres are predominantly located in specific hubs, such as Virginia, Texas, and California in the US, and Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia.
This concentration has allowed local communities to observe and react to the impacts of data centres. Additionally, the average power bills in the US have risen by nearly 10% compared to the previous year, and data centres consume vast amounts of water, with hyperscaler centres potentially requiring water for 360,000 households by 2028.
In the UK and Ireland, data centres have also faced criticism due to rising power bills, environmental concerns, and competition for land needed for housing. Despite these issues, data centre growth in Asia has not triggered the same level of alarm as in the US and Europe. One reason may be that most Asian countries have yet to experience the same scale of data centre buildout as in the West.
Furthermore, Singapore and Hong Kong, as leading data centre hubs in the region, have played a crucial role in the early days of the internet, serving as vital landing points for trans-Pacific fibre optic cables. This early development has likely contributed to a greater level of acceptance for data centres in these regions. However, the rapid expansion of data centres in Hong Kong, particularly in reclaimed land areas, has not led to significant environmental or economic concerns.
Yet, this comfort with data centres may not last indefinitely. The construction of new data centre capacity at Sandy Ridge in Hong Kong is expected to put a significant strain on the city's power generators. A UN report warns against Hong Kong's environmentally unfriendly power mix, with 67% of electricity sourced from fossil fuels.
To address these challenges, the report outlines six principles for responsible AI ecosystems: transparency, efficiency by design, equity and environmental justice, life cycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. Compliance with these principles may pose challenges for the Hong Kong government, particularly as urban renewal and housing development continue to compete for attention and resources.
Written by urgent.news from SCMP Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
