The U.S. Air Force and Space Force are building a $100 million, 56,000-square-foot data center in Kīhei’s Maui Research and Technology Park, linked to proposed telescopes on Haleakalā’s summit. Community members have raised concerns about transparency, water and electricity demands, and the projects’ combined environmental impact.
- The Secure Integration Support Laboratory (SISL) in Kīhei broke ground in late 2024 and is expected to be completed early 2026.
- Because the facility is on privately purchased land, the military only needed an environmental assessment — not the more rigorous environmental impact statement required for the Haleakalā telescopes.
- Critics argue the two projects were introduced separately to avoid scrutiny of their combined environmental and resource impacts.
- Residents have raised concerns about the facility’s demands on Maui’s already-strained water and electricity supplies.
- The Haleakalā telescope project still requires a full environmental impact statement with public comment opportunities before it can proceed.
Source: Kdhnews
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