The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Pro-Data Center Policies
Alaska allows municipalities to exempt or defer taxes on qualifying development property by ordinance, subject to eligibility rules and possible objections. State support can cover early data-center reviews, but not construction or project approval.
Rating and summary from Alaska statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Specific to Fairbanks North Star Borough only.
pending · County measureExpresses support for a proposed moratorium on permitting, leasing, or constructing new commercial data centers in Alaska until state and local governments adopt standards addressing electrical demand, water use, environmental impacts, noise, air quality, land-use pollution, and other public-interest concerns, as described in Resolution No.Fairbanks North Star Borough proposed temporary large-scale data center permitting moratorium ordinance (2026)
What this means
The measure calls for pausing permits, leases, and construction of new commercial data centers on state, municipal, and federal land until governments adopt standards, with no deadline specified. It does not cover privately owned land or require existing centers to stop operating, so it creates significant but not total barriers to development.
Timing
- Ends
- When the State of Alaska and local governments have developed and adopted standards addressing data center development impacts and other public-interest considerations
The state-priority moratorium applies to state-owned or municipal lands; the federal-priority version also includes federal-owned lands. Both end when the specified standards are developed and adopted.
People behind it
- Assembly Committee of the Whole
Introduced and sponsored Resolution No. 2026-25, identifying and supporting legislative priorities.
- Mayor Hopkins
Sponsored Resolution No. 2026-24 and proposed Ordinances Nos. 2026-22, 2026-13, and 2026-20-1I.
- Assemblymember Crass
Co-sponsored Ordinance No. 2026-21.
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- Assemblymember Wilson
Co-sponsored Ordinance No. 2026-21.
- Assemblymember Reeves
Co-sponsored Ordinance No. 2026-21.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements2
Moratorium on permitting, leasing, or constructing new commercial data centers on state-owned or municipal land in Alaska until the state and local governments develop and adopt standards addressing electrical demand, water consumption and shortages, environmental impacts, noise, air quality, land-use pollution, and other public-interest concerns.
Moratorium on permitting, leasing, or constructing new commercial data centers on federal-owned land in Alaska, in addition to state-owned and municipal land, until the state and local governments develop and adopt standards addressing electrical demand, water consumption and shortages, environmental impacts, noise, air quality, land-use pollution, and other public-interest concerns.
Sources
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