Although the government of Guam is trying to attract data centers to invest in the island, Sen. William Parkinson is questioning whether the island has enough power-generating capacity to handle potential demand.
Last week, Parkinson sent a request for information to Guam Power Authority General Manager John Benavente to disclose the demand of existing data centers.
The island has recently experienced load-shedding – in some areas multiple times in a night - and GPA has asked residents to conserve electricity to prevent outages. During a work session at the Consolidated Commission on Utilities on Thursday, GPA reported a power generation capacity of 274 megawatts with a peak demand of 270 megawatts.
Parkinson said the 4-megawatt difference is “not a comfortable reserve.”
He said he is not blaming the data centers for the current power emergency, but he said the public should understand how much electricity existing data centers consume and how much additional demand may be coming.
In May, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero led a delegation to the 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she met with prospective investors to discuss opportunities for data center development on the island.
The Guam Economic Development Authority website says the island is actively seeking investment from data centers, listing them among new and emerging industries that are part of “an aggressive and extensive plan [that] has been launched to reinvigorate Guam’s economy.”
