# Fairbanks North Star, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to Fairbanks and North Pole

Fairbanks North Star is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Fairbanks North Star, 17% of Alaska's total. Fairbanks North Star is home to Fairbanks and North Pole. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed local moratorium on data centers”. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Construction employs 2,678, down 1.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.

1
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map, 17% of Alaska's

1.4×
the U.S. share of jobs in construction

5 MW
of generating capacity retired since 2019

## Cities and towns in Fairbanks North Star

Fairbanks North Star is home to Fairbanks and North Pole.

Fairbanks31,468 residents
North Pole2,477 residents

Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Badger, Chena Ridge, College, Eielson AFB, Ester, Farmers Loop, Fox, Goldstream, Harding-Birch Lakes, Moose Creek, Pleasant Valley, Salcha, South Van Horn, Steele Creek, Two Rivers.

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 Fairbanks North Star

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 95,333 | 93,972 | ▼ 1.4% | 3rd of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36,835 | 37,074 | ▲ 0.6% | 13th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,576 | $72,255 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,729 | 2,678 | ▼ 1.9% | 7th of 8 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 250 | 281 | ▲ 12.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 3 | ▼ 25.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.1% | ▼ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 27 MW |  | — |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW |  | — |

5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Eielson AFB Central Heat & Power Plant (coal, 5 MW, 2022). 27 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly coal. Its power plants have 386 MW of capacity, 62% of it petroleum, the 3rd largest fleet in Alaska. Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Fairbanks North Star, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 30.32¢/kWh in 2024, above the 26.58¢ median for Alaska utilities. Employers here counted 37,074 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. 93,972 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020, 3rd of 28 Alaska counties by population.

## Who powers Fairbanks North Star

### Utilities with service territory in Fairbanks North Star

| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,675 | 30.32¢ | 10% |
| G & K, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |

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 

| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 239 MW | 62% |
| Coal | 108 MW | 28% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 10% |

| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Pole | Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | Petroleum | 181 MW | 1976 |
| Fairbanks | Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | Petroleum | 42 MW | 1970 |
| Battery Energy Storage System | Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | Battery storage | 40 MW | 2003 |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | University of Alaska | Coal | 40 MW | 1964 |
| Eielson AFB Central Heat & Power Plant | U S Air Force-Eielson AFB | Petroleum | 36 MW | 1955 |
| Chena Power Plant | Aurora Energy LLC | Coal | 28 MW | 1952 |

### Retired since 2019

| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eielson AFB Central Heat & Power Plant | Coal | 5 MW | 2022 |

## The Fairbanks North Star labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,074 | $72,255 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,678 | $118,035 | 1.36 |
| Power and communication line construction | 13 | $99,031 | 0.22 |
| Electric utilities | 281 | $113,122 | 2.80 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3 | $139,054 | 0.03 |

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 Fairbanks North Star

1 data center in Fairbanks North Star is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.

### Local measures 

| Measure | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed local moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-08 |

## Fairbanks North Star and its neighbors

Of the 3 counties that border Fairbanks North Star, Southeast Fairbanks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks North Star | 93,972 | ▲ 0.6% | 386 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Denali](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/denali) | 1,616 | ▼ 1.8% | 117 MW | — | — | — |
| Southeast Fairbanks](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/southeast-fairbanks) | 7,270 | ▲ 27.2% | 43 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Yukon-Koyukuk](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/yukon-koyukuk) | 5,028 | ▲ 2.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |

## More of Alaska

[All Alaska countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska)[Southeast Fairbanks7,270 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/southeast-fairbanks)[Yukon-Koyukuk5,028 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/yukon-koyukuk)[Denali1,616 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/denali)

## Fairbanks North Star, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska?

2 utilities have service territory in Fairbanks North Star in the EIA-861 2024 report: Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc, G & K, Inc. The largest, Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc, charged residential customers 30.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### What county is Fairbanks, AK in?

Fairbanks is in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska. About 31,468 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What power plants are in Fairbanks North Star?

7 operating plants with 386 MW of capacity. The largest is North Pole (181 MW, petroleum).

### Are there data centers in Fairbanks North Star?

Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Fairbanks North Star.

### Is Fairbanks North Star adding jobs?

Employers counted 37,074 jobs in 2025 against 36,835 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,729 to 2,678.

### Does Fairbanks North Star have a data center moratorium?

The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Fairbanks North Star, 0 in force.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/alaska/fairbanks-north-star
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).