HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-21 Dan Holt Support
From: Dan Holt
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 170 - Support & Strengthen!
Date: Monday, September 21, 2026 3:23:36 PM
Support & Strengthen Bill 170!
My name is Dan Holt, I live in Hilo and I urge you to not only support this bill but to
strengthen it with more precise language to remove wiggle room that can be exploited by
those more concerned with their profits, AI and surveillance rather than the protection of the
Hawaiian environment, its people and their quality of life.
The environmental effects of data centers are well documented and disastrous. The sooner
Hawaii gets ahead of this the more time can be spent recovering from the previous storms
and preparing for those to come (i.e. super El Nino on top of regular hurricane season).
Nobody wants to spend time/money/resources later battling a data center incursion when
stricter definitions could have been put in place earlier (i.e. now!) to have made it a non-
starter.
I’m aware of recommendations put forward by HULI PAC, Sierra Club and various
community members and won’t replicate them here. To me, the main intent of this is to
prevent data centers from being built here - period. And the well researched and expressed
additions/corrections of those organizations go a long way to close loopholes that are sure
to be exploited.
Mahalo!
Dan Holt