Power Supply Chain and Demand in Alaska
Vertically integrated utilities run most of Alaska's grid. 29 MW of new generation is planned in Alaska, 0 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 6 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 27.09¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +5.0% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, and construction employment is +12.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 3 local moratoria or restrictions for Alaska across all statuses (1 in force) and 1 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Alaska
Alaska sits at the edge of the build-out. The national boom shows up here in prices and equipment queues more than in new construction. Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are +2.4% year to date, 21st in the country. Construction employment is +12.8% against August 2019, 26th of 48 states where BLS publishes it. Planned generation equals 1% of the power plants Alaska runs today, 48th of 51 (the median state plans 15%). The weak spot: data center share of state gdp ranks 49th of 51 at 0.8%. Factory employment is the exception: manufacturing jobs are -0.8% against August 2019.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 16.4k | 18.5k | ▲ 12.8% | 26th of 48 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 5.4% | 4.3% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 25.81¢ | 27.09¢ | ▲ 5.0% | 35th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 3.1 GW operating | 0.0 GW planned | 1% of fleet | 48th of 51 |
Where Alaska ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
County spotlight
Anchorage holds the most data centers on record in Alaska (2), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +3.0% since 2019 to 795 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Juneau: 20 MW, led by Juneau Hydropower, Inc (other).
Where Alaska sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- Non-RTO (utility-run)
- Operating capacity
- 3.1 GW
- Planned generation
- 29 MW
- Under construction or built
- 0 MW
- Data centers identified
- 6
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.3%
- Residential price change
- +5.0%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Alaska, county by county
29 boroughs and census areas in Alaska. Planned generation sits in 2 of them, data centers stand in 3, and local measures are on record in 2. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 7
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 2 | — | — | — | 795 | ▲ 3.0% | — | — | |
| Southeast Fairbanks | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Fairbanks North Star | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Juneau | — | 20 MW | — | Juneau Hydropower, Inc | 80 | — | — | — | |
| Ketchikan Gateway | — | 10 MW | — | Ketchikan Electric Company | — | — | — | — | |
| Matanuska-Susitna | — | — | — | — | 300 | ▲ 9.9% | — | — | |
| Petersburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — |
Every county in Alaska 29
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 4
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | Anchorage | 2 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers with no end date In force | |
| Delta Junction | Southeast Fairbanks | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Alaska | — | — | — | 1 | HB 259 - Large Energy Use Facilities |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Alaska, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
Utility-run territory: resource planning sits with the vertically integrated utilities and the state commission.
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 3.1 GW
- Planned, all types
- 29 MW
- Under construction or built
- 0 MW
- Planned gas
- 0 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 0 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 6
- Operators
- 4
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +2.4%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 0.8%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.3% (-0.3 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +12.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -0.8%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- —
- Electrician median pay
- $89,440
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.48×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 27.09¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +5.0%
- All-sector price change
- +7.2%
- Total retail sales change
- +5.2%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 2
- Local measures (in force)
- 3 (1)
- Watchlist projects
- 1
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- None listed
Planned power plants in Alaska
Every planned generator in Alaska in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
None of the planned capacity is under construction yet.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 4 | 29 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahoney Lake Hydroelectric | Ketchikan Gateway | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Ketchikan Electric Company |
| Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Facility | Juneau | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Juneau Hydropower, Inc |
| Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Facility | Juneau | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Juneau Hydropower, Inc |
| Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Facility | Juneau | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Juneau Hydropower, Inc |
What the Alaska build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Alaska, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau Hydropower, Inc | 3 | 20 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| Ketchikan Electric Company | 1 | 10 MW | — | Other | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Alaska footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names Alaska. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check
No planned unit of 50 MW or more in Alaska is still waiting on equipment orders.
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Alaska
6 data centers run by 4 operators are identified in Alaska. The full list by city is on the Alaska Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The Alaska jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 341.8k | ▲ 1.3% | ▲ 3.3% (+10.9k) |
| Construction | 18.5k | ▼ 1.1% | ▲ 12.8% (+2.1k) |
| Manufacturing | 13.2k | ▲ 6.5% | ▼ 0.8% (-0.1k) |
| Mining and logging | 13.9k | ▲ 4.5% | ▲ 3.0% (+0.4k) |
| Retail trade | 34.8k | ▼ 0.3% | ▼ 2.5% (-0.9k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | — | not disclosed | — | — |
| Electrical contractors | 0 | 1,775 | — | $98,520 |
| Power and communication line construction | — | not disclosed | — | — |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 1,843 | — | $117,241 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 5,810 | $36,130 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 5,900 | $33,280 | 0.92× |
| Retail salespersons | 7,890 | $37,290 | 1.03× |
| All occupations | 325,570 | $61,000 | 1.69× |
| Construction laborers | 3,690 | $58,060 | 1.61× |
| Welders | 790 | $80,840 | 2.24× |
| HVAC mechanics | 610 | $77,430 | 2.14× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 1,200 | $93,920 | 2.60× |
| Electricians | 1,870 | $89,440 | 2.48× |
| Power plant operators | 650 | $88,870 | 2.46× |
| Power-line installers | 490 | $92,470 | 2.56× |
| Construction supervisors | 2,690 | $102,140 | 2.83× |
| Electrical engineers | 350 | $125,970 | 3.49× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Alaska
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Alaska
State measures 2
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Alaska senators question legality of state land transfer for possible Mat-Su data centers | Proposed | 2026-09 | |
| HB 259 | Alaska HB 259 (introduced January 2026 by Rep. Donna Mears) would require large energy facilities (peak demand ≥20 MW) to enter community benefit agreements | Failed / vetoed | 2026-01 |
Delay Watchlist projects 1
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 259 - Large Energy Use Facilities | Alaska (statewide) | cancelled | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (3) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Alaska Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Alaska's neighbors
No land neighbors.
All statesThe national mapOpen →Alaska power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Alaska?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 29 MW of planned generators in Alaska, 0 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is other 100%. The largest single unit is Mahoney Lake Hydroelectric (10 MW, Ketchikan Electric Company). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Alaska?
Non-RTO (utility-run) serves most of Alaska, which means vertically integrated utilities plan and dispatch generation under the state commission. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Are electricity prices rising in Alaska?
Residential electricity averaged 27.09¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +5.0% on a year earlier, the 35th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +2.4%.
What do electricians earn in Alaska?
The median electrician in Alaska earned $89,440 in May 2025, 2.48 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $92,470 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Alaska have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Juneau (20 MW), Ketchikan Gateway (10 MW).
Which data center projects are delayed in Alaska?
The SAVRN Delay Watchlist names 1 project in Alaska, among them HB 259 - Large Energy Use Facilities.
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in Alaska?
Construction employment is +12.8% against August 2019.
Does Alaska have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 state-level measures (0 enacted) and 3 local moratoria or restrictions in Alaska, 1 of them in force, 44th most in the country.
Alaska across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.