Dillingham, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dillingham
Dillingham is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Dillingham is home to Dillingham and Togiak. Employers here counted 2,027 jobs in 2025, down 18.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 7.2% in 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Togiak (petroleum, 2 MW, 2019). 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Dillingham
Dillingham is home to Dillingham and Togiak.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Koliganek, Portage Creek, Twin Hills.
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 Dillingham
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,839 | 4,483 | ▼ 7.4% | 18th of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,498 | 2,027 | ▼ 18.9% | 27th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,484 | $70,958 | ▲ 46.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.2% | 6.1% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — |
Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Dillingham, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 69.95¢/kWh in 2024, above the 26.58¢ median for Alaska utilities. 4,483 people live here, down 7.4% since 2020.
Who powers Dillingham
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dillingham
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,689 | 69.95¢ | 65% |
| Nushagak Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Manokotak Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillingham | Nushagak Electric Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1988 |
| Togiak | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2019 |
| New Stuyahok | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2010 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Togiak | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2019 |
| New Stuyahok | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2023 |
| Dillingham | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2024 |
The Dillingham labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,027 | $70,958 | 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 Dillingham
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dillingham. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Dillingham and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Dillingham, Bethel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillingham | 4,483 | ▼ 18.9% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Bethel | 18,391 | ▼ 9.7% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake and Peninsula | 1,357 | ▼ 13.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Dillingham, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dillingham, Alaska?
3 utilities have service territory in Dillingham in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc, Nushagak Electric Coop, Inc, Manokotak Power Company. The largest, Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 69.95¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dillingham?
3 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Dillingham (10 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Dillingham?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dillingham.
Is Dillingham adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,027 jobs in 2025 against 2,498 in 2019 (-18.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dillingham have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dillingham. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.