HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-08-31 Lara Kalilimoku Support Testimony
From: Lara Kalilimoku
To: Planning WPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 170 testimony
Date: Monday, August 31, 2026 5:43:40 PM
Aloha,
My name is Lara and I live in Kea’au. I am writing in strong support of Bill 170 and asking
the Windward Planning Commission to recommend one additional strengthening change before sending it back to the County Council.
The original Bill 170 language uses subjective phrases like "industrial-scale operation" and
"beyond that typically accessory or incidental to office, commercial, or public institutional uses" that a well-resourced developer's attorney can argue around. The definition below
replaces that subjectivity with objective physical criteria and a clear 20 megawatt threshold that cannot be disputed.
The specific language I am asking the commission to recommend:
"Hyperscale data center means any facility or campus of facilities whose primary purpose is
the housing, operation, or co-location of computer servers, networking equipment, and associated cooling, power, and support infrastructure, including but not limited to servers,
network equipment and appliances, telecommunications equipment, data storage systems, systems for monitoring and managing infrastructure performance, environmental controls, fire
protection systems, security systems, electrical substations, generators, and redundant power supplies; and which requires or is designed to require 20 megawatts or more of electrical
capacity at full build-out. This definition includes a single facility and any campus of multiple facilities on contiguous or adjacent parcels under common ownership or control whose
combined electrical demand meets or exceeds 20 megawatts. This term includes facilities commonly described as large-scale, hyperscale, neocloud, and artificial intelligence data
centers and colocation campuses. This term does not include telecommunications facilities regulated under Section 25-4-12, hospital or government data systems, university educational
and research facilities, or business offices in which servers are incidental to the primary use."
Our fragile power grid was put on full display after Hurricane Lala. We are still recovering from the devastation and we do not need anything else drawing power from the people who
need it, not a data center, PEOPLE. As protectors of our ‘āina, Hawaiians are keenly aware at what effects many things can have on our land and in our communities. The community of
people is the strength of our island. Please do not bring anything like these data centers here. They drain our resources, especially water, and water IS LIFE. Lahaina showed us the
terrifying and tragic outcome of not protecting what is most important.
Our island's closed water system, fossil-fuel dependent grid, and already strained infrastructure cannot support hyperscale data centers. Please recommend the strongest possible
version of this bill to the County Council.
Mahalo, Lara Kalilimoku
Kea’au