HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-21 Kelli Bolger Testimony
From: Kelli Bolger
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Cc: Kimball, Heather; Inaba, Holeka; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Villegas, Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M.; Onishi, Dennis;
Hustace, James; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Alameda, Christian (Kimo);
generalpla@hawaiicounty.gov; Planning WPC Testimony
Subject: Testimony: Bill 170, Planning Department input
Date: Monday, September 21, 2026 2:22:18 PM
Aloha Leeward Planning Commission and Planning Department,
I am asking the commision to reject the Planning Department’s recommendation, which revises regulations before "data center" is even defined. The current proposal lacks real
safeguards, and definitions need to come before regulation.
I support the intent of Bill 170, Section 1, but the bill's current definition uses subjective language a developer's attorney could easily argue around. I'm urging the commission to
recommend an objective, airtight definition grounded in what the facility physically contains and how much power it draws:
"Data center" means a facility used for the industrial-scale operation of computer systems and
associated equipment [for the processing, computing, transmission, or dissemination of digital data] that requires supporting infrastructure beyond that typically accessory or incidental to
office, commercial, or public and private institutional uses, including a single facility and any campus of multiple facilities under common ownership or control whose combined electrical
demand meets or exceeds 5 megawatts.
I care about this as a resident and small business owner concerned with our already-tight grid and with quality of life on the island - noise, water use, and environmental impact of data
centers are real concerns for surrounding communities. A vague definition leaves too much room for a project like this to move forward without the scrutiny it deserves. The county
should get the definition right now, not after a project is already underway.
Mahalo, Kelli Bolger
Hilo