Haines, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Covenant Life and Excursion Inlet
Haines 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. Construction employs 171, up 87.9% since 2019, and construction is 3.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 9.9% in 2019. Haines has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Covenant Life, Excursion Inlet, Haines, are unincorporated and governed by the county. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Haines (petroleum, 1 MW, 2021). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Haines
Haines has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Covenant Life, Excursion Inlet, Haines, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Covenant Life, Excursion Inlet, Haines, Lutak, Mosquito Lake, Mud Bay.
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 Haines
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,089 | 2,068 | ▼ 1.0% | 22nd of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,019 | 1,055 | ▲ 3.5% | 10th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,854 | $58,569 | ▲ 43.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 171 | ▲ 87.9% | 1st of 8 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.9% | 4.9% | ▼ 5.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,055 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 28 Alaska counties). Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Alaska Power and Telephone Co is the largest utility serving Haines, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 37.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 26.58¢ median for Alaska utilities. 2,068 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Haines
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Haines
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Power and Telephone Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,737 | 37.18¢ | 64% |
| Inside Passage Elec Coop, 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines | Alaska Power and Telephone Co | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1968 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Haines labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,055 | $58,569 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 171 | $98,420 | 3.06 |
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 Haines
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Haines. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Haines and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Haines, Juneau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines | 2,068 | ▲ 3.5% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Hoonah-Angoon | 2,271 | ▲ 23.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Juneau | 31,609 | ▲ 1.2% | 254 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Skagway | 1,104 | ▼ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Haines, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Haines, Alaska?
2 utilities have service territory in Haines in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alaska Power and Telephone Co, Inside Passage Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Alaska Power and Telephone Co, charged residential customers 37.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Haines?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Haines (8 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Haines?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Haines.
Is Haines adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,055 jobs in 2025 against 1,019 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 91 to 171.
Does Haines have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Haines. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.