Salcha, Alaska resident Sarah Hollister often walks a neighborhood trail that leads to a pond outside Eielson Air Force Base. It's part of a military recreation area — civilians and servicemembers alike come here to hike and fish. It's not unusual for military aircraft to fly overhead, momentarily interrupting the natual tranquility.
Lately, though, Hollister has been worrying that her community could be swallowed by a more persistent kind of noise — the hum of a data center.
"The roar of jet fighters and helicopters overhead has always reminded me of our sacrifices we make for freedom," she said. "But the sound of a 24/7 hum from a data center shows me that we have completely lost our way."
The Pentagon wants to build a dozen or more military data centers on or near bases around the country. The plans come as the military races to expand its artificial intelligence capabilities nationwide, which will require massive amounts of computing power.
In Alaska, sites are being considered in Anchorage, Healy, and Fairbanks. The Pentagon has offered to lease about 4,700 acres of government land in the state to private companies, though no projects have been awarded yet.
The proposal is s drawing concern from residents and some local leaders on both sides of the aisle.
"I find that this isn't just a red or blue issue, it's a human issue," Hollister said. "It's about making sure that our land is good for our children and our grandchildren. It's about making sure that the government doesn't have the overreach to just kind of come in and put these monstrosities here."
The military's data center plans collide with Alaska's energy crunch
Opponents also raise concerns about the amount of electricity the data centers would require. Alaska's energy system is strained, and Fairbanks already has some of the nation's highest utility costs.
Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski says she doesn't support bringing data centers to Alaska until that question is answered.
"I am not a proponent of data centers down at JBER or at our interior installations because we are not able to support them because of an insecure energy base at this time," she said, referring to Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage.
This kind of concern about data centers isn't unique to Alaska. At least 100 communities across the nation have adopted moratoria on building them, as opposition spreads from local jurisdictions to state legislatures.
Local concerns, federal land
But when it's the military that wants to build a data center, local leaders might find it harder to push back.
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins said his community's economy and culture strongly depends on the military.
"Our community was buoyed by defense spending and infrastructure as the F-35 fighter squadron was placed here," he said. "How our community grows and how it thrives is intimately intertwined."
Even though the Borough Assembly is calling for a data center moratorium, it can't tell the Pentagon what to do on military land. Hopkins can only hope the Air Force will consider the community's concerns.
"I know that the bases at our level listen to what the impacts of the community would be," he said. "Whether that trickles up to the Pentagon is going to be a different question. But here locally, the relationship is strong enough that we are listened to."
The Air Force denied multiple requests for interviews. But in an email, one spokesperson cited a federal requirement that it promote efficient and economical use of its property. Another spokesperson said the military will require data center contractors to demonstrate how they would reduce impacts and risk to surrounding communities.
This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans.
