Northwest Arctic, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kotzebue
No data center or power plant project is on record in Northwest Arctic, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Unemployment was 8.8% in August 2026, against 12.5% in 2019. Northwest Arctic is home to Kotzebue, Selawik and Noorvik. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kotzebue Hybrid (wind, 3 MW, 2026). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Employers here counted 3,010 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 28 Alaska counties).
Cities and towns in Northwest Arctic
Northwest Arctic is home to Kotzebue, Selawik and Noorvik.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Noatak, Red Dog Mine.
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 Northwest Arctic
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,797 | 7,095 | ▼ 9.0% | 14th of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,898 | 3,010 | ▲ 3.9% | 8th of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $75,009 | $95,291 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 12.5% | 8.8% | ▼ 3.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
Its power plants have 27 MW of capacity, 82% of it petroleum. 7,095 people live here, down 9.0% since 2020. Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Northwest Arctic, 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.
Who powers Northwest Arctic
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Northwest Arctic
| 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% |
| Kotzebue Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,227 | 47.90¢ | 60% |
| Ipnatchiaq Electric 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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 82% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 7% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 6% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kotzebue Hybrid | Kotzebue Electric Assn Inc | Solar | 16 MW | 1987 |
| Selawik | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2013 |
| Noorvik | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1997 |
| Kiana | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 1 MW | 1984 |
| Noatak | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2008 |
| Shungnak | Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 1 MW | 1984 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kotzebue Hybrid | Wind | 3 MW | 2026 |
| Kiana | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2024 |
| Noatak | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2022 |
| Ambler | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2020 |
The Northwest Arctic labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,010 | $95,291 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 58 | $128,893 | 0.36 |
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 Northwest Arctic
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Northwest Arctic. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Northwest Arctic and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Northwest Arctic, North Slope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Arctic | 7,095 | ▲ 3.9% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Nome | 9,830 | ▲ 0.3% | 31 MW | — | — | — |
| North Slope | 10,582 | ▲ 0.4% | 72 MW | — | — | — |
| Yukon-Koyukuk | 5,028 | ▲ 2.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Northwest Arctic, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Northwest Arctic, Alaska?
3 utilities have service territory in Northwest Arctic in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc, Kotzebue Electric Assn Inc, Ipnatchiaq Electric Company. The largest, Alaska Village Elec Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 69.95¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Northwest Arctic?
8 operating plants with 27 MW of capacity. The largest is Kotzebue Hybrid (16 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Northwest Arctic?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Northwest Arctic.
Is Northwest Arctic adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,010 jobs in 2025 against 2,898 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Northwest Arctic have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Northwest Arctic. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.