PoliticsAnchorage · April 11, 2026
anchorage gets ahead of ai
The Anchorage Assembly adopted zoning rules for data centers before any company has proposed building one in the municipality.
Daily Alaska staff · April 11, 2026 · Anchorage
The Anchorage Assembly adopted an ordinance restricting data centers to commercial and industrial zones in the municipality, acting before any company has proposed building a data center in Anchorage.
The ordinance keeps data centers out of residential areas such as the Hillside and South Addition. It requires landscaping buffers and enclosed equipment to reduce noise and limit the industrial look of any future facility.
Before a data center project can move forward, local utilities must confirm they have enough power capacity to handle the added load. The ordinance also builds in a public review process for proposed projects.
Assembly members said the rules respond to what happened in other cities, where data centers moved in without regulation and nearby residents saw their utility costs rise. Anchorage adopted the ordinance to set its own terms before any application is filed.
The Assembly passed the ordinance with two members voting against it, while the majority supported putting the guardrails in place ahead of the first proposal.
In this story
Questions people ask
where can data centers be built in Anchorage now
Only in commercial and industrial zones, under the ordinance the Anchorage Assembly adopted.
has a data center been proposed in Anchorage
No. The Assembly adopted the ordinance before any company proposed building one in the municipality.
what must utilities do for a data center in Anchorage
Local utilities must sign off that they have enough power capacity to handle the added load.
how did Anchorage Assembly vote on the data center ordinance
Two Assembly members voted no, while the majority voted to adopt it.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- The Anchorage Assembly adopted an ordinance restricting data centers to commercial and industrial zones. · adn.com
- The ordinance requires local utilities to confirm sufficient power capacity before a data center project can proceed. · adn.com
- Two Assembly members voted against the ordinance. · adn.com
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