Alaska Data Center News

May 29, 2026

Fiber Break Cuts Off Six Alaska Towns

A subsea fiber cable break has knocked out internet and wireless service across remote Alaska communities.

Affected communities: at least six communities along Alaska’s Aleutian Chain (a remote island arc stretching more than 1,000 miles into the Pacific); incident dated May 29, 2026; internet and wireless service knocked out.
Repair timeline and source:A repair vessel is not expected on site for up to 14 days; report sourced from Broadband Breakfast (links provided in the article).

May 29, 2026

FCC's Carr Sends a Warning: ‘No Broadcaster Has a Right to Use the Public Spectrum'

The FCC issued a Public Notice reminding broadcasters that their access to public spectrum depends on meeting public interest obligations.

Main announcement: On May 28, the FCC issued a Public Notice (link included) stressing that broadcasters receive government-granted spectrum access only if they meet public interest obligations, stating “this Public Notice serves to remind broadcasters of their longstanding public interest obligations and further ensure that broadcasters are continuing to comply with the public interest obligations that underpin their licenses.” The notice also said “no broadcaster has a ‘right’ to use the public spectrum.”
Other items and details: Headlines in the same roundup include SpaceX calling for automatic mobile phone unlocking within 180 days; GCI sending a crew to repair subsea fiber damage in the Aleutians; a coalition mocking Anthropic’s knowledge of submarine-cable security; NAB urging broadband ISPs and Big Tech to help fund the FCC’s budget; CFTC accusing a Google employee of making $1.2 million from insider trading on Polymarket; and New Mexico awarding $300,000 in planning grants.

May 20, 2026

Why FAST-41 Now Covers AI Data Centers and Copper

The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) has expanded FAST-41 coverage to include AI-linked developments and granted FAST-41 coverage to Alaska’s Arctic copper and critical minerals project.

Main action: FAST-41 now explicitly covers Artificial intelligence and machine learning and High-performance computing, advanced computer hardware and software; the program has added a QTS Richmond campus (seven buildings, ~3.2 million sq ft) as its first covered data center and QTS reported nearly 4 GW of simultaneous hyperscale deployments.
Background and details: The Arctic project centers on copper supply for substations, transformers, switchgear, and transmission; reported constraints include transformer lead times of 18–24 months, wires/cables up 152% since 2019, switchgear up 77%, NERC projection of +224 GW summer peak demand over the next decade, Wood Mackenzie estimates of 274% and 116% demand increases for generator step-up and power transformers respectively, and regulatory measures such as Michigan’s requirement that DTE Electric use a 19-year take-or-pay structure for large-load customers.

May 18, 2026

Non-lithium players Eos and ESS lean on future of US LDES deployment in Q1 2026 financials

Eos Energy Enterprises released Q1 2026 financial results on 13 May and announced the formation of Frontier Power USA with Cerberus Capital Management plus a 2GWh firm capacity reservation; ESS Tech Inc released Q1 2026 results on 7 May and highlighted Project New Horizon with SRP and Google and a US$9.9 million contract with the US Air Force Research Laboratory.

Main announcement: Eos reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$56.9 million, adjusted EBITDA loss of US$68 million, reaffirmed 2026 revenue guidance of US$300–US$400 million, and said it and Cerberus will capitalise Frontier Power USA with a 2GWh firm capacity reservation for deployments across utility-scale, AI data centres, and C&I segments (announcement dated 13 May 2026).
Additional details & background: ESS reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$128,000 and net loss of US$15.9 million (announced 7 May 2026), highlighted Project New Horizon (5MW/50MWh) with SRP and Google (manufacturing planned in 2026; delivery aimed December 2027), and noted a US$9.9 million US Air Force Research Laboratory contract to deploy up to 27MWh; Eos referenced prior US$315 million Cerberus financing (mid-2024) and a planned US$352.9 million investment in new production lines with ~US$22 million state support.

May 12, 2026

AI Boom Will Reshape U.S. Energy Demand, Interior Secretary Says

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Doug Burgum) urged rapid expansion of U.S. energy production and a federal permitting overhaul to meet surging AI-driven electricity demand.

Main announcement: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said at a United States Energy Association event that AI-driven demand requires “a lot more energy,” and the administration is pursuing a broader permitting overhaul across federal agencies; he cited completing one environmental assessment in 12 days and one environmental impact statement in 24 days as examples.
Background and additional details: Burgum linked energy policy to national security and competition with China, Iran, and Russia, defended expanded oil, gas, mining, and liquified natural gas (LNG) development (saying U.S. LNG exports have displaced two‑thirds of the Russian gas sold in Western Europe), and promoted increased production in Alaska to supply allies including Japan and South Korea.

Apr 27, 2026

Small modular reactors and microreactors under development in the United States

The U.S. Department of Energy announced renewed support for SMR development, including a $900 million funding tender and selection of vendors for the Energy Reactor Pilot Program.

DOE actions: In March 2025 DOE reissued a tender for $900 million to promote SMR development and in June 2025 announced the Energy Reactor Pilot Program, selecting vendors (Aalo Atomics Inc.; Antares Nuclear, Inc.; Deep Fission Inc.; Last Energy Inc.; Oklo Inc.; Natura Resources LLC; Radiant Industries Inc.; Terrestrial Energy Inc.; Valar Atomics Inc.). Applicants are responsible for funding individual pilot reactor designs while the program aims to fast-track licensing and attract private funding.
Defense and implementation details: The Defense Innovation Unit and military services are advancing microreactor adoption: the Army launched the Janus Program (sites shortlisted at nine bases) and the Air Force plans a commercial microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base with Oklo, Inc. supplying a sodium-cooled Aurora design targeting 1 MW to 5 MW by 2027; the Department of the Navy is soliciting offers for on-site SMRs and microreactors.

Apr 24, 2026

Alaska Pushes for Data Center Investment

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Alaska is well-positioned for data center development due to low energy costs, cold climate, and planned infrastructure investments.

Main announcement: Gov. Mike Dunleavy stated at Data Center World that a planned natural gas pipeline could deliver power at about $0.05 per kilowatt hour for industrial users; construction is expected to begin soon and gas is expected to flow later this decade. He also said Alaska’s cold climate could enable facilities to operate with PUE near 1.15, reducing cooling costs compared with warmer states.
Background and event details:State of Alaska is advancing the pipeline project as an infrastructure priority; the remarks were given at Data Center World in Washington on April 24, 2026. No specific contractors, financing amounts, or binding commercial deals were announced in the article.

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).

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