By ALEX GIMARC
Aug. 5, 2026 – I listened to Amy Demboski’s morning show on KVNT on Monday. She held her Monday morning conversation with Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake, who opined on a variety of topics including the opportunity presented with a possible data center on the North Slope. He was shortly followed by one of his opponents, Mike Alexander, who went on to trash datacenters as too dangerous to even consider.
That got me to thinking (always a dangerous exercise) about data centers and the greater problem we seem to have gotten ourselves into here in Alaska by adopting the leftist, Democrat world view of opposing all things new rather than figuring out how to correctly do something new.
As this is a two-part question, I will address the larger point of new stuff first and scope it down to datacenters.
Consider, if you will, the multiple attempts Gov. Mike Dunleavy made over the years to increase revenue to the state while in office, all of which were rejected out of hand, starting with casinos (apparently Native casinos with all the expected corruption like Eklutna Tribal’s cozy relationships with the Anchorage Assembly are far more acceptable). Then move on to Dunleavy’s fish farming proposal, which was a mirror of the current Department of Fish and Game stocking program for rainbows into Southcentral and Interior lakes.
The final rejected proposal was the gasline, rejected initially by Nurse Sen. Cathy Giessel because it would bring prostitution into the state.
What rot. If you don’t want to do something, there are a thousand reasons not to do so, as demonstrated by legislative Democrats over the last six years.
With every single proposal, the reaction was reasons not to embrace the new opportunity rather than any sort of cost-benefit analysis on what the State would gain compared with costs should we screw up and do it wrong.
It looks like the next proposal up is the notion of putting a large caliber data center(s) on the North Slope and power it with natural gas from the Prudhoe Bay oil patch. Potential benefit to the State is a couple billion dollars revenue a year. Great, right?
Not so fast, as Republican candidate Alexander for House District 30 is concerned about organic gunk growing in the pipes which requires Alaska to reject the concept out of hand.
Are you freaking serious?
What is a data center? It is a large building full of computers that uses water and power to do whatever it is contracted to do. Its output is data, transmitted via connections (fiber or Starlink). Its consumables are energy, water and equipment. Its waste products are water and heat. Like all Double Plus Good renewable energy installations, it does have a large physical footprint.
Do the opponents of this even know that we currently have multiple large footprint buildings on the Slope that use water and power to output product? They are called Gathering Centers, huge installations that gather the output from multiple wells, separate crude from water and natural gas, treat the output, do something with the products removed, and prepare the crude for shipment down the TAPS pipeline.
And with all this industrial operation going on, preparing a million barrels of crude a day to be shipped down TAPS, these clowns are worried about possible organic gunk in internal water lines in a new facility? We have had datacenters in the US for over a generation. Don’t you think that problem is well known or solved yet? If not, why do you think those of us in the business are any bigger idiots than you are?
It appears to me that they are looking for a reason to oppose the new proposal rather than figuring out how to make it work.
I am not a kneejerk supporter of data centers. I spent over a decade working in one. I know what they are. I know what they do. I know what they need. In the world of AI, which is what these data centers are supposed to support, I am not convinced that they will not quickly be rendered obsolete by a quantum leap in approach to AI computing, a distributed approach.
Still, even Elon Musk is onboard with the notion that massive computing will be necessary to solve the AI problem. Who am I to counsel otherwise? Still, I do.
I hate it when Alaskans act like scared little three-year-old girls. Or Democrats. I hate it when Republicans grab onto Chinese Communist Party anti-data center agitprop. I hate it when putative conservative Republicans climb aboard the democrat NIMBY / BANANA train finding reasons not to do things rather than figuring out how to do something new correctly.
Sooner or later, we Alaskans need to get out of our current defensive crouch and start growing the economy of this state.
Data centers are our next opportunity. Should we reject this, how many more will there be?
Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.
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10 thoughts on “Alex Gimarc: Opponents of progress are looking for reasons to hate data centers”
Best arguments in support of Data Centers here in AK907:
1) Naturally cold climate dramatically lowers cooling costs Alaska’s low average temperatures (mean ~35°F statewide; far colder on the North Slope) enable free or low-energy air cooling for much of the year.
2) Abundant energy resources (ie: O&G + Hydro) to power necessary power plants to service Data Centers .
3) Vast available land far from population centers Alaska has more land than any other state, with large tracts suitable for development and minimal NIMBY pressure in remote areas (eg: North Slope).
4) Abundant fresh water with lower cooling-water intensity .
5) Potential for lower long-term power costs. Access to low-cost North Slope gas (projected in the 5–7¢/kWh range under certain development scenarios) plus reduced cooling loads can make electricity more competitive.
6) Strategic geographic location for connectivity and latency . Alaska sits between North America and Asia (and relatively central for trans-Arctic routes toward Europe). Improving fiber infrastructure (new undersea and terrestrial cables) positions it as a potential hub for low-latency traffic, Arctic communications, and defense-related or international data needs.
7) Economic diversification, jobs, and tax revenue . Large projects create substantial construction employment (thousands of jobs in peak phases) and ongoing operations roles, plus property, severance, royalty, and other tax streams.
8) Ability to pair development with new generation and avoid grid strain . Data centers can act as anchor loads that justify new energy infrastructure without burdening existing customers.
9) Alaska ‘could’ provide favorable regulatory and tax environment .
10) Opportunity to strengthen resilience and advance dual-use infrastructure .
Apart from those listed above, practical and commons sense approach, the best outcome of developing Data Centers in AK907 is that it would drive the Lib-Turds and Tree-Huggers absolutely NUTZ!
TheyARE looking for reasons to block any businesses that might improve the economy their motivation is wanting to screw over those darn Little People. Remind yourself of how,they view the PFD as THEIRS, because they know Better how to spend your money than you do they consider themselves to be a form of nobility, while the rest of the population are their serfs, to be told what to do by their ” betters” A number of them have expressed such thinking publicly unfortunately, it gets lost in the flood tide of their willing accomplices in the media
Here’s the reason: electricity. Lots of it. Right on time for rolling blackouts without even increasing the load to operate data centers. Moreover, the Army is putting one on JBER, and they won’t be asking anybody for permission. It’s going to happen. And that after both the Army and Air Force closed down their tri-generation power plants and dumped the equivalent of a city of 40K plus residents, administration buildings, industrial shops, et all on Southcentral’s electric grid. That’s more than Alaska’s third largest city of Ketchikan.
Sure, now data centers with no power generation to power them. Great idea. You’re a freaking genius.
Lots of electricity on the Slope. They run turbines fired by natural gas, just like Chugach does here in ANC.
The military bases are moving to GenIV nukes. First one should be in Eielson operational late 2027 – 2028. There will be others, with JBER likely next on the list, meaning they will be net exporter rather than a customer.
A military sized datacenter is nowhere as large as one sized for AI. Better yet, it needs to be deployable. How big do you think a military datacenter is and what power does it need compared with computing power today?
Like I said in the piece, if you don’t want to do something, there are a thousand reasons not to do it. Thanks for making my point for me. Cheers –
Please, it’s Head Nurse.
I challenge Mike Alexander to discontinue his cellular and wireless services since he is so down on Data Centers to which your phones, internet, work technology and communication, travel, and buying and selling are All dependent on Data Centers.
To say one doesn’t like Data Centers but they refuse to give up their cellular phone, smart watches, computers, tvs.
Such an idiot.
Only does Demboski invites an idiot to be on her show because that’s what her show is for interviewing idiots and giving them their small moment of glory.
Mike Alexander is a moron. He’s the perfect guest for Demboski.
I don’t need reasons to hate data centers, as are so self evident.
I wonder what the medium age is of the supportive comments in this thread. They have that stale, fetid air of the past.
Kind of late to hate data centers. They’ve been around in one form or another since the 60’s. Add radars, cameras, and satellites, they become air traffic control facilities, distant early-warning systems, telecommunicators, weather watchers, volcano watchers, earthquake detectors, useful things in Alaska.
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Your frustration’s understandable. But if your goal’s getting more people on side, getting force multipliers, it’s worth (didn’t say easy!) addressing peoples’ issues, real or perceived, to build their trust and confidence.
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Notably this did -not- happen with Glenfarme’s gas line. We accidentally find out we’re 25% owners in the planet’s biggest project. Yet government and Glenfarme won’t answer our questions about it. We’re pretty sure the other 75% got their answers before joining the 75% Club. But all we get are Glenfarme Cheerleaders, threats, and what looks way too much like blackmail. Gas lines or data centers, it’s hardly the best sales pitch for winning hearts and minds.
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Your writing’s always top-quality. So, our best guess is Biden’s ghost writer must have snuck in the “Opponents of progress” bit which reads disquietingly like “Rules for Radicals” instructions to isolate and ridicule dissidents who might, with constructive effort, be brought on side.
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Tech’s cool, but no substitute for communicating with people like they matter personally to you.
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Sure and it’s an art form, no easy thing, but you’re good at it.
Point taken. Thanks for the kick back into play. Frustration with the Always Say No crowd got the best of me. No excuse. An explanation. Cheers –