Members Brawley, Volland Propose New Land Use Regulations for Data Centers

At the last Regular Assembly Meeting, Assembly Vice Chair Anna Brawley introduced AO 2026-27, an ordinance to clarify land use regulations for data centers and similar energy-intensive facilities in the Municipality of Anchorage, including Girdwood and Eagle River.

"Across the country, communities are responding to the development of large-scale data centers to drive economic activity and support growing computing needs," said Assembly Vice Chair Brawley, who serves on the National League of Cities' Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) federal advocacy committee. "Those projects often bring significant community impacts, from operational noise to very high demand on public water, wastewater and electrical utilities. This ordinance invites a proactive dialogue to decide the conditions in which a proposed data center is compatible with our existing public processes mitigate anticipated impacts."

Undefined in current code, data centers are most closely related to "data processing facilities," which are allowed in by-right in commercial and industrial zones. Recognizing the gap in municipal code, the ordinance proposes a land use definition for "data center" - facilities that house computer servers for processing and storing data with some accessory uses - and restricts the use to commercial and industrial zones. The proposed permit process would require specific site requirements and coordination with related utilities while working through a robust public process.

"Amid concerns about Railbelt energy shortages and rising utility costs, it's exciting to imagine the potential economic benefits innovative projects could create for Alaska," commented Assembly Member Daniel Volland, who signed on to co-sponsor the ordinance this week. "Those benefits don't come without a cost to our community. Now is the time to establish a proactive regulatory framework that balances public interests with evolving industry needs."

​Worksession this Friday
Ahead of the public hearing scheduled for the March 3 Regular Assembly Meeting, the proposed ordinance will be discussed during an Assembly worksession this Friday, February 27 at 1pm in City Hall, Conference Room 155 and livestreamed on YouTube. Worksession materials will be available on the Assembly website at www.muni.org/worksessions.

Public Hearing Details
The public hearing on AO 2026-27 is scheduled for the Regular Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The public is invited to share input on the ordinance through the following channels:

• Provide testimony during the March 3 Regular Assembly Meeting at the Loussac Library Assembly Chambers
• Sign up by 5pm on March 2 to provide testimony during the meeting by phone: ancgov.info/testify
• Submit written testimony: ancgov.info/testify
• Email all Assembly Members: [email protected]

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Contact:

Anna Brawley, Assembly Vice Chair
District 3, West Anchorage
[email protected]

Daniel Volland, Assembly Member
District 1, North Anchorage
[email protected] ​

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