Environmental groups rally against a wave of proposed Alaska data centers

Two of Alaska's environmental advocacy organizations are rallying supporters in Fairbanks on Saturday against a wave of proposed data centers, arguing the state has no rules for a technology arriving fast.

The rally, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Northern Alaska Environmental Center on College Road, runs under the banner Alaskans for Data Center Accountability — a campaign the Northern Center organizes with The Alaska Center, a statewide group that lobbies on energy policy and endorses candidates. It's one of several events planned around the state, with others in Wasilla and Anchorage.

The organizers count 15 proposed data centers, though only two are documented in public records: the Air Force's April 2026 plan to offer about 4,700 acres across Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, and Clear Space Force Station for AI data centers, and a legislature-discussed North Slope facility that would run on stranded natural gas. Opponents warn of water drawdown, noise, heat, and toxic e-waste.

Supporters see the same projects as a market for gas that currently has none and a source of investment in a state short on both. Anchorage adopted a data center permitting framework in March 2026 requiring conditional-use review and confirmation that utilities can handle the load; no statewide equivalent exists.