HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-21 Kupuna for the Mo'opuna Testimony
From: Kupuna Moopuna
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Cc: Kupuna Moopuna
Subject: LPC Testimony 9.24.2026 - Agenda Item 3, Bill 170 - COMMENTS
Date: Monday, September 21, 2026 8:57:44 AM
Kūpuna for the Moʻopuna
committed to the well-being of Hawaiʻi for the next generations to come
kupuna4moopuna@gmail.com
Leeward Planning Commission
September 24, 2026
Agenda Item 3, Bill 170
September 21, 2026
Aloha to the Leeward Planning Commission,
We, Kūpuna for the Moʻopuna, a hui of Hawaiian Homes Commission Act kūpuna
beneficiary farmers from Panaʻewa, Hawaiʻi, provide the following COMMENTS on
Agenda Item 3, County Council Initiated Bill 170.
We appreciate the intent of Bill 170 and request your recommending strengthening
changes to the bill that will protect our island home and people by:
1. replacing subjective definitions with objective, enforceable thresholds;
recommending a clear, objective definition of "data center," distinct from the
county's existing "data processing facility" definition.
2. closing special-use permit loopholes; rejecting the Planning Department's
recommendation to add smaller data centers as a permitted use, with no
discretionary review of grid impact, water, noise, or other impacts.
“Ola i ka Wai” is a common sense saying reminding us that our precious finite water is
life itself. Intense water consumption by data centers would only add unprecedented
strain on our Big Island’s water resources. Hurricane Lala severely crippled major
components of our island-wide water network, making our ʻāina and people highly
vulnerable to widespread distress, especially concerning in the face of more natural
disasters ahead. Our Hawaiian Homestead communities on the island of Hawaiʻi,
especially in remote areas, face critical water challenges, including severe weather
insecurity, high delivery and pumping costs, and absent infrastructure.
Our Big Island home with its closed water system, fossil-fuel-dependent grid, and
already strained infrastructure cannot support data centers. We urge this Planning
Commission to recommend the strongest possible version of Bill 170 to the County
Council.
Mahalo,
Kūpuna for the Moʻopuna
Nākoʻolani Warrington, Mea Kākau