Aleutians East, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Akutan
No data center or power plant project is on record in Aleutians East, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Aleutians East is home to Akutan, King Cove and Sand Point. Employers here counted 1,835 jobs in 2025, down 23.7% from 2019. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sand Point (petroleum, 1 MW, 2023). 0 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Aleutians East
Aleutians East is home to Akutan, King Cove and Sand Point.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Nelson Lagoon.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Aleutians East
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,425 | 3,479 | ▲ 1.6% | 19th of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,405 | 1,835 | ▼ 23.7% | 28th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,502 | $72,006 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 1.7% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 71% of it petroleum. City of King Cove is the largest utility serving Aleutians East, one of 4 with territory here. 3,479 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Aleutians East
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Aleutians East
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of King Cove | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nelson Lagoon Elec Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Unalaska - (AK) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Akutan - (AK) | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 71% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 16% |
| Wind | 1 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Cove | City of King Cove - (AK) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1986 |
| Sand Point | Sand Point Generating, LLC | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2000 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Point | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Aleutians East labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,835 | $72,006 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Aleutians East
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Aleutians East. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Aleutians East and its neighbors
Of the 1 counties that border Aleutians East, Lake and Peninsula carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleutians East | 3,479 | ▼ 23.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake and Peninsula | 1,357 | ▼ 13.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Aleutians East, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Aleutians East, Alaska?
4 utilities have service territory in Aleutians East in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of King Cove, Nelson Lagoon Elec Coop Inc, City of Unalaska - (AK), City of Akutan - (AK).
What power plants are in Aleutians East?
2 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is King Cove (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Aleutians East?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Aleutians East.
Is Aleutians East adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,835 jobs in 2025 against 2,405 in 2019 (-23.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Aleutians East have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Aleutians East. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.