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Home My WebLink About2026-09-28 Kupuna for the Mo'opuna TestimonyFrom:Kupuna Moopuna To:Planning WPC Testimony Cc:Kupuna Moopuna Subject:WPC Meeting - Bill 170 - Data Centers - COMMENTS Date:Monday, September 28, 2026 3:52:19 PM Kūpuna for the Moʻopuna committed to the well-being of Hawaiʻi for the next generations to come kupuna4moopuna@gmail.com Windward Planning Commission October 1, 2026 Bill 170 - Data Centers September 28, 2026 Aloha to the Windward 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 Bill 170, Data Centers. 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