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, intended to remotely operate proposed new telescopes on Haleakalā. Residents and advocates are raising concerns about transparency, environmental review, and demands on local water and electricity resources.
- The Secure Integration Support Laboratory (SISL) in Kīhei began construction in late 2024 and is expected to be completed early 2025, per the Hensel Phelps government contract.
- Because the facility is on privately purchased land, the military only needed an environmental assessment — a less rigorous process than a full environmental impact statement.
- Critics argue the military intentionally separated the Kīhei and Haleakalā projects to avoid scrutiny of their combined environmental impact.
- Community members raised concerns at an Office of Hawaiian Affairs meeting about the facility’s undisclosed water and electricity demands on already-strained Maui resources.
- The related Haleakalā telescope project still requires a full environmental impact statement with public comment before it can proceed.
Source: Rockymounttelegram
Share this article
