HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-02 Aeronwy Polo Support TestimonyFrom: aeronwy polo
To: Planning WPC Testimony
Subject: Strong Support for Bill 170 and Strengthening Amendment
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 6:08:19 PM
Dear Windward Planning Commission,
My name is Aeronwy Polo and I live on the Big Island. 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 such as
“industrial-scale operation” and “beyond that typically
accessory or incidental to office, commercial, or public
institutional uses.” These terms could be open to
interpretation and potentially argued around by well-
resourced developers and their attorneys.
I respectfully ask the Commission to recommend replacing
that subjective language with the following objective
definition, including a clear 20-megawatt threshold:
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.
This issue matters deeply to me because my family and I live
on the Big Island. This is one of the most beautiful places in
the world, and people come from all over to experience its
natural beauty, culture, and unique sense of place. This is also
sacred land, and I believe we have a responsibility to respect
and protect it for the people who live here and for future
generations.
We do not want large-scale data centers on the Big Island.
Our water, land, energy resources, and infrastructure are
limited, and we should be thoughtful about what kinds of
development we allow. The things that make Hawaiʻi special
cannot be replaced once they are lost.
Our island's closed water system, fossil-fuel-dependent grid,
and already strained infrastructure cannot support
hyperscale data centers without placing additional pressure
on resources that our community depends upon.
Please recommend the strongest possible version of Bill 170 to
the County Council, including the objective 20-megawatt
definition above. Clear and enforceable standards will help
ensure that the intent of this legislation cannot be weakened
through subjective interpretations or legal loopholes.
Thank you for listening to our community and for helping
protect the land, water, and resources that make the Big
Island such a special place.
Mahalo,
Aeronwy Polo