Valdez-Cordova, Alaska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Valdez-Cordova 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. Next door, Anchorage has 2 data centers. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Orca (petroleum, 4 MW, 2024). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 58 MW of capacity, 54% of it petroleum, the 10th largest fleet in Alaska. Birch Creek Village Elec Util - (AK) is the largest utility serving Valdez-Cordova, one of 5 with territory here.
What changed in Valdez-Cordova
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
Who powers Valdez-Cordova
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Valdez-Cordova
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Creek Village Elec Util - (AK) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chitina Electric Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tatitlek Electric Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cordova Electric 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 32 MW | 54% |
| Hydro | 26 MW | 44% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Gulch | Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc | Hydro | 12 MW | 1982 |
| Glennallen | Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1976 |
| Orca | Cordova Electric Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1984 |
| Valdez | Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1972 |
| Allison Creek Hydro | Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc | Hydro | 6 MW | 2016 |
| Power Creek | Cordova Electric Coop, Inc | Hydro | 6 MW | 2001 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orca | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2024 |
| Glennallen | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2019 |
Data centers and local rules in Valdez-Cordova
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Valdez-Cordova. Alaska has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Valdez-Cordova and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Valdez-Cordova, Anchorage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez-Cordova | — | — | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Anchorage | 287,155 | ▲ 0.4% | 869 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Kenai Peninsula | 61,951 | ▲ 10.3% | 750 MW | — | — | — |
| Matanuska-Susitna | 118,666 | ▲ 22.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Southeast Fairbanks | 7,270 | ▲ 27.2% | 43 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Yakutat | 672 | ▲ 13.4% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alaska
Valdez-Cordova, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Valdez-Cordova, Alaska?
5 utilities have service territory in Valdez-Cordova in the EIA-861 2024 report: Birch Creek Village Elec Util - (AK), Chitina Electric Inc, Copper Valley Elec Assn, Inc, Tatitlek Electric Utility.
What power plants are in Valdez-Cordova?
9 operating plants with 58 MW of capacity. The largest is Solomon Gulch (12 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Valdez-Cordova?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Valdez-Cordova. The nearest activity on record is next door in Anchorage.
Does Valdez-Cordova have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Valdez-Cordova. Alaska has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.