HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-02 Bekah Davis Support Testimony
From: Bekah Davis
To: Planning WPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 170 statement / hyperscale data centers
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 9:20:57 AM
My name is Rebekah Davis and I live in Ele’ele on the island of Kauai. 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.
Although I do not live in the island of Hawaii, this impacts all of us. We already live in a
state with the highest electricity rates. If we open the door to a potential data center from being build on any of our islands, this will completely destroy our beautiful ‘āina and
increase expenses for our kama’aina who can barely afford to live here as it is. If we look at what’s happening on the mainland it could be catastrophic to our islands. In Tahoe, there’s a
town where all residents have to find their own electricity resource by 2028 since the new data center will utilize their current wattage. How is that even legal? How would something
like this impact us; being the most remote island chain in the world? We need to stand together and choose People over Profits before we lose the little bit we have now.
Our island cannot afford to get this wrong. Please recommend the strongest possible version of this bill.
Mahalo,
Bekah Davis
Ele’ele Kauai County