Ketchikan Gateway, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ketchikan
Ketchikan Gateway 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. Ketchikan Gateway is home to Ketchikan. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 10 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Ketchikan Electric Company (other technologies), the 2nd largest pipeline among Alaska's counties. Construction employs 287, up 2.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 65 MW of capacity, 60% of it hydro, the 8th largest fleet in Alaska.
Cities and towns in Ketchikan Gateway
Ketchikan Gateway is home to Ketchikan.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Loring.
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 Ketchikan Gateway
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,913 | 13,549 | ▼ 2.6% | 7th of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,298 | 7,211 | ▼ 1.2% | 18th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,975 | $66,029 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 280 | 287 | ▲ 2.5% | 6th of 8 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 2.5% | ▼ 2.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 10 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 2nd of 2 by size |
Ketchikan Public Utilities is the largest utility serving Ketchikan Gateway. Its residential customers paid an average 12.48¢/kWh in 2024, below the 26.58¢ median for Alaska utilities. Employers here counted 7,211 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019. 13,549 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020, 7th of 28 Alaska counties by population.
Who powers Ketchikan Gateway
Utilities with service territory in Ketchikan Gateway
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan Public Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 6,561 | 12.48¢ | 43% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 39 MW | 60% |
| Petroleum | 26 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S W Bailey | Ketchikan Public Utilities | Petroleum | 26 MW | 1969 |
| Swan Lake | Southeast Alaska Power Agency | Hydro | 23 MW | 1984 |
| Beaver Falls | Ketchikan Public Utilities | Hydro | 5 MW | 1947 |
| Whitman | Ketchikan Public Utilities | Hydro | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Ketchikan | Ketchikan Public Utilities | Hydro | 4 MW | 1938 |
| Silvis | Ketchikan Public Utilities | Hydro | 2 MW | 1968 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahoney Lake Hydroelectric | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Ketchikan Electric Company |
The Ketchikan Gateway labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,211 | $66,029 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 287 | $88,478 | 0.75 |
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 Ketchikan Gateway
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ketchikan Gateway. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Ketchikan Gateway and its neighbors
None of the 2 counties bordering Ketchikan Gateway has a data center, a power plant or planned generation on record.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan Gateway | 13,549 | ▼ 1.2% | 65 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder | 5,777 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Wrangell | 2,007 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Ketchikan Gateway, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ketchikan Gateway, Alaska?
1 utility has service territory in Ketchikan Gateway in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ketchikan Public Utilities. The largest, Ketchikan Public Utilities, charged residential customers 12.48¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Ketchikan Gateway?
6 operating plants with 65 MW of capacity. The largest is S W Bailey (26 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Ketchikan Gateway?
10 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Ketchikan Electric Company.
Are there data centers in Ketchikan Gateway?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ketchikan Gateway.
Is Ketchikan Gateway adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,211 jobs in 2025 against 7,298 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 280 to 287.
Does Ketchikan Gateway have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ketchikan Gateway. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.