Alaska Data Center News

Apr 23, 2026

Alaska’s GCI Acquiring Quintillion

GCI Liberty has announced it will purchase Quintillion for $310 million and provide additional financing and reimbursements upon closing.

Main action: GCI Liberty is acquiring Quintillion at a $310 million valuation; upon closing GCI will provide a $160 million unsecured loan to Quintillion and reimburse up to $50 million in construction expenses related to a largely subsea fiber line (approximately 1,200 miles from Nome to Homer, AK). Mac McHale will remain president through closing and then “will support a smooth, orderly transition.”
Background and details: Quintillion currently holds more than 1,800 miles of existing subsea and terrestrial fiber and plans about 1,500 more; both companies previously won funding from Alaska’s BEAD allocation (Quintillion’s award reduced to $48 million; GCI’s award reduced to $120 million). Grain Management owned Quintillion since Feb. 2024; the FCC cleared John Malone to assume control of GCI on Wednesday.

Apr 22, 2026

Malone's GCI Buying Alaska Subsea Fiber Operator Quintillion, Ending Grain Management's Brief, Painful Tenure

GCI Liberty has announced the acquisition of subsea fiber owner Quintillion.

Deal terms: GCI Liberty will acquire Quintillion at a $310 million enterprise value (equity + debt, minus cash) and plans to provide a $160 million unsecured loan to Quintillion soon after signing the papers; the buyer is controlled by John Malone. The press release states the transaction will combine 1,800+ miles of existing subsea and terrestrial fiber and ~1,500 miles of planned fiber expansion with GCI’s statewide network to advance connectivity in Alaska.
Background and timing: Quintillion has been owned by Grain Management for 26 months; the tenure included a ~nine-month subsea fiber outage in the Arctic Ocean in 2025 that degraded service in parts of Alaska. The press release did not disclose Quintillion President Mac McHale’s future with the combined entity. (Report notes: more details behind paywall.)

Apr 17, 2026

AI Infrastructure Brief: Power, Capital, and the Feeling That Something Is Tightening

Matt Vincent (Data Center Frontier) summarized the week’s announcements showing an accelerating AI data-center buildout paired with mounting power and coordination constraints.

Main observation: The industry is prioritizing power and speed: major deals and project announcements include Bloom Energy and Oracle planning up to 2.8 GW of deployment, Aligned Data Centers breaking ground on a 540 MW Project Caprock, an EdgeConneX affiliate proposing a 430 MW natural gas plant in New Albany, Ohio, proposals for 2 GW in New Mexico and 1.2 GW in Irwin County, Georgia, and Microsoft expanding datacenter operations in Cheyenne. The Maine legislature passed a temporary, exemption-inclusive ban on data centers, signaling emerging social-license constraints.
Capital and implementation details: Financial moves include Switch raising $768 million via ABS, Fluidstack reported in talks for a $1 billion round at an $18 billion valuation, and Jane Street signing a $6 billion AI cloud agreement with CoreWeave; CoreWeave also expanded a multi-year relationship with Anthropic. Utilities are signing long-term power agreements (e.g., NiSource with Alphabet and expanded ties with Amazon). AWS has launched “Project Houdini” to accelerate construction timelines. All items are factual recaps of announcements and reports from the week (no speculative outcomes included).

Apr 10, 2026

Anchorage Blocks New Data Centers in ‘Residential Zones’

The Anchorage Assembly (city government) passed a new city ordinance defining data center land use and review requirements.

Ordinance passed 10-2: The ordinance bans new data centers in residential zones, limits data centers to commercial and industrial zoned districts, and requires a public review process plus input from local utilities before approval. It also requires disclosure of water and energy capacity and other environmental impact information.
Context and background: Anchorage’s action is framed as a proactive response to an anticipated surge in data center construction due to Alaska’s cooler climate; the article references a whitepaper by The Alaska Center urging clear disclosure of water draws, cites a Davis Wright Tremaine note that Anchorage currently has one colocation data center, and notes parallel anti-data-center actions in other U.S. communities (Festus, MO; Port Washington, WI).

Apr 10, 2026

As Trump throws lifeline to coal plants, critics warn of higher costs and health risks

The Trump administration has used emergency powers to prevent scheduled coal plant retirements and to fund upgrades that keep plants operating.

Main action: The administration issued emergency orders to keep at least five coal plants from closing, spent $175 million on upgrades for seven plants, is considering $350 million more in applications, and officials (e.g., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum) have articulated a goal of “100 per cent stay open, no more retirements”, citing grid reliability concerns. The administration also used measures that delayed the planned retirement of the Schahfer Generating Station in Indiana and justified keeping it online for extreme weather power needs.
Background and details: The piece references analysis by Enverus that suggested no additional coal retirements may occur during the administration; it notes 34 GW of coal capacity was set to retire before 2029, coal plants slated to retire emitted >130 million tons CO2 last year, and that keeping the fleet afloat could cost about $1 billion annually. Legal challenges have been filed by multiple states (Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado).

Apr 7, 2026

Cold-Climate Data Centers: The Next Hot Thing in Data Center Growth

This article outlines the case for cold-climate data centers and cites industry examples and a pitch by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Main point: The article describes how cold-climate data centers leverage naturally low ambient temperatures for free cooling, reducing energy and water use; it cites recent industry activity including Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s $4 billion acquisition of atNorth (atNorth operates eight data centers across Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland) and states there are nearly three dozen data centers in the Arctic.
Background and details: The piece lists operators (Google in Hamina, Verne Global in Iceland, Green Mountain in Norway, Northern Data) and highlights logistical constraints: distance from population centers, limited power and networking infrastructure, and access challenges; at Data Center World Power in Texas (last year) Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy pitched Alaska, claiming being “30 degrees cooler than Texas” could save a one-gigawatt plant upwards of $150 million a year in ancillary cooling costs.

Apr 2, 2026

States Race to Win the Tech Economy in 2026 State of the State Addresses

Broadband and technology were prioritized across nearly 30 governors’ 2026 State of the State addresses.

Main announcement: Governors across the country emphasized broadband expansion, AI policy and workforce development, and data center/energy planning; specific claims include Maine reporting “more than a quarter million homes and businesses” served, Wisconsin reporting 410,000 businesses and households with new or improved internet, Kansas connecting 117,000 households and businesses, and the Virgin Islands reporting a territory-wide internet program with over 50,000 users per month. The addresses also included concrete funding and contract figures: Maryland announced a $4 million AI workforce training investment, and South Dakota cited a $35 million Department of Defense contract for warhead production.
Background and other details: Governors described partnerships and policy actions: Maryland cited collaborations with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Microsoft, a South Korean biotech firm, and AstraZeneca for AI work; Iowa cited partnerships with Amazon Web Services and Google Public Sector to modernize state systems; several governors (Indiana, New York, Nebraska) debated who should shoulder data center energy costs or accelerate permitting; some states (New Hampshire, Delaware, South Carolina) signaled nuclear energy pathways and DOE engagement. Implementation timelines are those stated in addresses (2026) and referenced ongoing programs and contracts (e.g., South Dakota’s $35 million DoD contract already awarded).

Apr 1, 2026

Geothermal’s Rise a Hot Topic Worldwide

Rystad Energy forecasts near-term surge in geothermal investment to 2030.

Main announcement: Rystad Energy projects global investment in geothermal could reach nearly $9 billion by 2030, up from about $1.4 billion in 2020; the article reports multiple new commercial and pilot projects (e.g., Fervo Energy’s 500-MW Cape Station in Utah; the U.S. EIA notes the first large-scale commercial EGS in the U.S. is expected online in June). Include timelines and project scales where given.
Background and supporting details:Corporate deals and government support include Google’s long-term agreement with Ormat to supply up to 150 MW in Nevada (online 2028–2030), XGS Energy’s $1.2-billion, 150-MW project to power Meta in New Mexico (two phases operational by 2030), federal and state grants (e.g., $1.78 million tax credit for Vail on a $6-million library geothermal project; DOE / GEODE $165 million grant programs; an $8.6-million grant approved to expand a U.S. Northeast geothermal district heating network).

Mar 16, 2026

Workshop tackles AI data center power, security challenges

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) hosted the Next-Generation Data Centers Power and Security Workshop, where DOE’s Office of Electricity and industry stakeholders convened to identify research and technology pathways to integrate AI data centers with the electric grid.

Main announcement/action: The workshop identified priority research areas including direct-current power architectures, flexible and networked microgrids, real-time energy demand modeling and feedback, secure data center design and security testing for grid equipment, and U.S. manufacturing workforce development; DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Pesin introduced a “do no harm” principle for data center–grid integration, urged that existing power plants remain online and that transmission approval processes be streamlined, and cited a recent Section 202(c) Federal Power Act order that allowed access to backup generation during an East Coast cold spell to avoid rolling blackouts. The workshop noted AI training can cause power swings of hundreds of megawatts that must be managed.
Background and details: Industry and utilities (including Tennessee Valley Authority, EPRI, STAK Energy, Schneider Electric, Indium Corporation, Southwire, S&P Global) discussed forecasting challenges for data center load, supply-chain shortages (electrical steel, copper, semiconductors, graphite, gallium), and actions such as increased recycling, pursuing domestic/North American mining and refining of trace metals, and manufacturers scaling up capacity; STAK Energy presented plans for a large natural-gas-powered data center platform on Alaska’s North Slope (Prudhoe Bay). ORNL also announced formation of a Next-Generation Data Center Institute consolidating expertise in energy technologies, HPC, cybersecurity and grid science.

Mar 12, 2026

Friends-and-family diplomacy: Lessons for Europe from Gaza and Ukraine

The authors (ECFR) urge European leaders to use their leverage to counter President Trump’s reliance on private envoys (friends and family) and to reshape peace processes in Gaza and Ukraine.

Main action: The commentary calls on European governments to leverage economic and security tools (e.g., increased inspections of shadow-fleet sea lanes, use of immobilised Russian assets, coordination with the GCC, conditional funding via the World Bank and EIB) to change negotiating dynamics and limit the influence of US private envoys; it is an opinion/analysis piece offering policy recommendations rather than announcing a new governmental action.
Background and specifics: The article documents patterns from diplomacy around Gaza and Ukraine (mentions the August 2025 Trump–Putin Alaska summit, the November 2025 28-point plan, and the January 2026 Paris announcement on security assurances), warns about commercial projects (marinas, beachfront towers, special economic zones, solar-powered data centres) driven by envoys’ networks, and notes the Gaza BoP was approved by the UN Security Council but may exclude credible local Palestinian representatives.

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