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Alaska Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Alaska — updated daily.
Recent Alaska data center news
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Industry Opposed to New Licensing for Subsea Cable Terminals
The FCC proposed requiring a blanket license for companies operating submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE); multiple industry groups filed reply comments opposing or seeking exemptions to the proposal.
Main action: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a licensing regime in an August notice for companies operating SLTE where submarine cables connect with terrestrial networks; reply comments were posted Dec. 29, 2025. Key groups filing opposition or conditions include INCOMPAS, NCTA, the International Connectivity Coalition (ICC), and Crosslake Fiber. INCOMPAS argued the regime exceeds the Commission’s statutory authority and that third-party SLTE owners fall outside the Cable Landing Licensing Act; NCTA requested either a trusted domestic-entity exemption or narrowed cybersecurity/physical security reporting requirements.
Background and details: The FCC said federal law enforcement agencies had “identified substantial national security risks associated with” SLTE and is collecting information on SLTE operators because it has “incomplete information” about who operates these connection points. ICC noted the FCC’s August order had already largely restricted participation by foreign adversary countries, and Crosslake Fiber highlighted operational connectivity between Canada and New York. No specific monetary figures or implementation timelines beyond the August notice and December reply comments were provided.
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NTIA Recommends $6.5M in Tribal Broadband Awards
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recommended nearly $6.5 million for nine Tribal broadband projects under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).
- Main announcement: NTIA recommended nearly $6.5 million in funding for nine Tribal broadband projects, including a $2.5 million award to Dena’ Nena’ Henash to complete four engineered, environmentally permitted, shovel-ready fiber-to-the-home network designs; awards also include $496,003 for a hybrid fiber/wireless network serving the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and $500,000 to the Barona Group to expand low-cost internet access.
- Background and timeline: NTIA is overhauling the $3 billion TBCP, paused most previously recommended grants in November, will hold Tribal consultations on January 13 and January 20, 2026, and plans to issue new guidance for a funding round in spring 2026; roughly $980 million from the program’s second funding round remained undistributed as of November.
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Microsoft’s commitment to supporting cloud infrastructure demand in the United States
Microsoft has announced major expansions of its Azure cloud and AI datacenter infrastructure across the United States, including a new East US 3 region in Atlanta and new Availability Zones in multiple existing regions.
- Infrastructure expansion: Microsoft will launch the East US 3 Azure region in the Greater Atlanta Metro area in early 2027, designed for advanced Azure and AI workloads, with Availability Zones for resiliency and facilities targeting LEED Gold certification and alignment with Microsoft’s carbon, water, waste, and sustainability commitments; additional AZs will be added in North Central US (by end of 2026), West Central US (early 2027), US Gov Arizona (early 2026), and expanded in East US 2 (Virginia) and South Central US (Texas) in 2026.
- Government and customer focus: Microsoft will add three Availability Zones to the US Government Arizona region in early 2026 to support zone-redundant, compliant architectures for government and Defense Industrial Base customers, complementing the Azure for US Government Secret region launched earlier in the year; customer examples include the University of Miami using Azure AZs for disaster recovery in a hurricane-prone region and the State of Alaska consolidating infrastructure and improving resiliency by migrating to Azure.
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Salute Military Story: Frederick “Fritz” Little
Fritz Little, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Director of Program Delivery at Salute, describes his transition from military service and USAID into a leadership role at a large data center campus in Northern Virginia.
- Main announcement: Fritz Little joined as Director of Program Delivery at a large data center campus in Northern Virginia after taking early retirement from USAID earlier this year following budget cuts; his transition was initiated after attending a veteran-focused job fair run by iMasons Armed Forces Groups and through rapid outreach and mentorship from Lee Kirby. He reports joining the data center community as of July.
- Background and details: Little enlisted at 17 and served 35 years in the Army (Military Police, Special Operations Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations), deployed to Tajikistan (Dushanbe, 2001), Afghanistan, and Iraq, and finished as Civil Affairs Branch Chief at US Special Operations Command; he later worked at USAID in humanitarian assistance and disaster response prior to early retirement.
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New Data Center Developments: November 2025
Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup summarizing recent global data center developments and investments across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.
- Main roundup details: The report aggregates announcements including a $70 billion Pennsylvania initiative launched at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit; Amazon’s $8 billion Project Rainier (30 interconnected data centers in Indiana); Google’s multi-billion-dollar West Memphis campus plan; Meta’s >$1.5 billion GW-scale data center in El Paso (expected launch 2028); and a collaboration where OpenAI, Oracle, and Vantage will deliver almost a GW of AI capacity in Port Washington, Wisconsin, with campus construction starting soon and completion targeted for 2028.
- Energy and implementation details: Highlights include deployment of a 31 MW, 62 MWh BESS by Aligned Data Centers and Calibrant Energy to accelerate site commissioning; DOE opening the Oak Ridge Reservation for private AI data center development; Blue Energy planning a gas-to-small-reactor plant supplying up to 1.5 GW to Crusoe Energy Systems with a planned reactor transition by 2031; and Google committing €5 billion in Belgium plus new PPAs with Eneco/Luminus/Renner. Timelines specified in the article include 2026–2030 for Google’s $15 billion India hub and 2028 targets for several GW-scale facilities.
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Alaska Governor Pitches State as a Data Center Hub for AI-Era Compute
Governor Mike Dunleavy pitched Alaska as a competitive location for next-generation data center development at Data Center World Power in Texas.
- Main announcement/action: Governor Mike Dunleavy presented Alaska’s “arctic advantage”—highlighting 30 degrees cooler average temperatures vs. Texas and claiming it could save a one-gigawatt plant upwards of $150 million a year in reduced ancillary cooling; he emphasized abundant freshwater, vast land (the state owns 110 million acres), and a tax posture with no state income tax and no state sales tax as competitive benefits for data center operators.
- Background, timelines and project details: Dunleavy pointed to the Alaska LNG development (saying gas delivery to south central Alaska is expected in two years and exports to Asia by 2030), projected wholesale power of “four or five cents a kilowatt hour” for decades, multiple fiber routes with ~12 milliseconds latency to the Oregon coast, and renewable potential (hydro, wind, geothermal, tidal) plus large tracts suitable for carbon-offset projects.
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Data Center World POWER 2025 Proves Power Is the New Currency of the Digital Age
Data Center World POWER concluded its inaugural conference in San Antonio, TX (Sept 29 - Oct 1) produced by Data Center World / Informa PLC.
Main announcement / action: The inaugural Data Center World POWER convened industry leaders to address data center energy challenges, emphasizing energy efficiency, automation and AI-driven optimization, behind-the-meter generation/microgrids, and grid modernization. Key speakers included Bill Kleyman (Apolo), Chris Crosby (Compass), Woody Rickerson (ERCOT), David Bell (Voltagrid), and David Holmes (Dell Technologies / Project Astro). The program included a SwRI tour showcasing research in hydrogen energy, next-generation cooling, and resilient power systems.
Background and details: The three-day event (Sept 29 - Oct 1) featured executive panels, the first-ever Data Center World POWER Golf Tournament, and sessions on regulatory, compliance & permitting; Governor Dunleavy highlighted Alaska incentives and connectivity as a potential data center frontier. Future events announced: Data Center World 2026 returning to Washington, D.C. (announced April dates) and Data Center World POWER second edition scheduled for Dallas, Texas, Sept 21-23, 2026.
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Powering the AI Future: New Industry Event Tackles Data Center Energy Challenges
Data Center World POWER will bring together utilities, data center operators, technology providers and policymakers to develop actionable solutions for severe power constraints facing data center expansion.
- Event announcement & purpose: Data Center World POWER is scheduled for September 29–October 1, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio, Texas, convening stakeholders to address the data center power availability crisis; the show proper begins with keynotes on September 30 (Chris Crosby of Compass Data Centers and Woody Rickerson of ERCOT), with additional keynotes (Mike Dunleavy; David Holmes of Dell; Michael McNamara of Lancium) and panels on power sourcing, energy efficiency, grid constraints, and tech innovation.
- Background facts & metrics: The article cites almost 3 GW of new US data center capacity deployed in 2024 and ~11 GW expected over the next two years (Knight Frank); more than 12,000 active projects are seeking grid interconnection (AFCOM); Boston Consulting Group estimates a potential power shortage of more than 45 GW. Concrete session items include a SwRI lab tour (hydrogen, PV, battery testing, liquid hydrogen, supercritical CO2 systems), a pre-event golf outing, and sessions on microgrids, natural gas generation, SMRs, hydrogen fuel cells, and on-site/bring-your-own power options.
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Climate Change Solutions - July 15, 2025
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) recaps recent U.S. climate and energy policy developments, including new legislation, issue briefs, and upcoming events.
- Reconciliation package (P.L. 119-21) signed into law on July 4, 2025, ending or curtailing tax incentives for energy efficiency, renewables, and electric vehicles.
- Congressional committees advanced bills on algal bloom mitigation, precision agriculture, coastal data, and wildfire resilience; EESI published briefs on critical minerals, data center water use, and recapped 60 climate-related hearings from May-June 2025.
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Four Energy Trends to Watch for in 2025
In 2025, the energy sector witnesses advancements in four major trends: the reemergence of nuclear power, electrified infrastructure, the energy-water nexus, and building resilient power systems. The United States is actively developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to provide safe and reliable energy sources, with companies like Dominion Energy, X-energy, and Amazon collaborating in this space. Notably, the European Union has mandated that ships connect to shore power by 2030, which could significantly lower emissions. Furthermore, ongoing assessments by the U.S. Department of Energy emphasize managing the relationship between energy production and water resources. The IEEE SA is enhancing standards for energy management and storage systems to improve grid resiliency, showcasing the industry’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.