Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alcan Border and Big Delta
Southeast Fairbanks is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 8.8% in 2019. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Southeast Fairbanks, 17% of Alaska's total. Southeast Fairbanks is home to Delta Junction. Employers here counted 3,093 jobs in 2025, up 27.2% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 28 Alaska counties). 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Slana Generating Station (petroleum, 1 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Southeast Fairbanks
Southeast Fairbanks is home to Delta Junction.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alcan Border, Big Delta, Chicken, Deltana, Dot Lake, Dot Lake Village, Dry Creek, Eagle Village, Fort Greely, Healy Lake, Northway, Tanacross, Tetlin, Tok, Whitestone.
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 Southeast Fairbanks
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,825 | 7,270 | ▲ 6.5% | 13th of 28 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,431 | 3,093 | ▲ 27.2% | 1st of 28 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $71,563 | $91,635 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 83 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 8.8% | 5.2% | ▼ 3.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Owners plan to retire 0 MW more by 2035, led by Slana Generating Station in 2026. Its power plants have 43 MW of capacity, 96% of it petroleum. Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Southeast Fairbanks. Its residential customers paid an average 30.32¢/kWh in 2024, above the 26.58¢ median for Alaska utilities. 7,270 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020.
Who powers Southeast Fairbanks
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Southeast Fairbanks
| 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 41 MW | 96% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Power | Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc | Petroleum | 23 MW | 1976 |
| Tok | Alaska Power and Telephone Co | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1989 |
| Fort Greely Power Plant | Doyon Utilities - Fort Greely | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1959 |
| Delta Wind Farm | Alaska Environmental Power | Wind | 2 MW | 2008 |
| Slana Generating Station | Alaska Power and Telephone Co | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2016 |
| Northway | Alaska Power and Telephone Co | Petroleum | 1 MW | 1997 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slana Generating Station | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2024 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slana Generating Station | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2026 |
The Southeast Fairbanks labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,093 | $91,635 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 83 | $105,176 | 0.51 |
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 Southeast Fairbanks
1 data center in Southeast Fairbanks is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Southeast Fairbanks and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Southeast Fairbanks, Fairbanks North Star 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Fairbanks | 7,270 | ▲ 27.2% | 43 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Denali | 1,616 | ▼ 1.8% | 117 MW | — | — | — |
| Fairbanks North Star | 93,972 | ▲ 0.6% | 386 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Matanuska-Susitna | 118,666 | ▲ 22.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Valdez-Cordova | — | — | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Yukon-Koyukuk | 5,028 | ▲ 2.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Southeast Fairbanks, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska?
1 utility has service territory in Southeast Fairbanks in the EIA-861 2024 report: Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc. The largest, Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc, charged residential customers 30.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Southeast Fairbanks?
6 operating plants with 43 MW of capacity. The largest is Delta Power (23 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Southeast Fairbanks?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Southeast Fairbanks.
Is Southeast Fairbanks adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,093 jobs in 2025 against 2,431 in 2019 (+27.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 62 to 83.
Does Southeast Fairbanks have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Southeast Fairbanks. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.