HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-02 Jan Gandy Support Testimony
From: jan gandy
To: Planning WPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 170 Testimony
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 6:43:31 PM
My name is Jan Gandy and I live in Volcano. I am submitting testimony in strong support
of Bill 170 and urging the Windward Planning Commission to recommend a stronger definition of "hyperscale data center" before sending it back to the County Council.
The original bill defines a data center using subjective language that a developer's attorney can argue around in court. I am asking the commission to recommend a definition that is
objective and airtight, grounded in what the facility physically contains and how much power it draws.
Specifically I am asking the commission to recommend this language:
"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."
The 20 megawatt threshold creates a bright line that cannot be disputed. The campus language ensures a developer cannot game that threshold by building multiple smaller
facilities side by side on adjacent parcels under common ownership. Together these two elements make the prohibition meaningful and durable.
The island doesn’t seem to have sufficient electricity as it is and certainly doesn’t need AI centers to pull the electricity from island citizens.
Our island cannot afford to get this wrong. Please recommend the strongest possible version of this bill.
Mahalo
Jan Gandy
Volcano