Mary Evans
14:28 - 14:48
“I'm asking the borough to establish rules that allow Petersburg to protect itself from being taken advantage of by an industry whose expansion into rural communities has generated serious controversy over power, water, noise, infrastructure, and self-determination.”
- Speaker
- Mary Evans
- Timestamp
- 14:28 – 14:48
- Transcript
- Petersburg Borough: Assembly Meeting
- Community
- Alaska News
- Captured at
- October 9, 2026
From the transcript
Let's be very clear, this technology is not benign and it's not neutral. Although I think that it— that this is an incredibly important and worthwhile discussion to have, I'm not attempting to do that here. I'm not asking anyone to trust my judgment about this technology or to make an ideological choice. I'm asking the borough to establish rules that allow Petersburg to protect itself from being taken advantage of by an industry whose expansion into rural communities has generated serious controversy over power, water, noise, infrastructure, and self-determination. My fear is the acceptance and normalization of something that seems fine now but has not been thought all the way through.
Related Coverage
Petersburg asks the state for two more tsunami sirens and an updated inundation study
Petersburg wants two more tsunami sirens for its harbors and Papke's Landing. The state would supply them; the borough just pays shipping and upkeep.
Petersburg moves toward a nine-month pause on some data centers; broader ban fails 3-3
Petersburg wants a nine-month pause on off-grid and non-closed-loop data centers. It isn't in effect yet, and a permit application could still get in first.
