# The Land Is On Offer. The Power Is Not. > April 10th, the Air Force offered about 4,700 acres for AI data centers. August 4th, Alaska defended about 19,950 more. Published 2026-08-06 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-08-06/ ## The story ABOUT 4,700 ACRES ON OFFER. THE POWER IS NOT. The sites have "insufficient power" for a data center APPROXIMATELY 19,950 ACRES NORTH OF HOUSTON. "It just comes down to the fact that nobody has the gas right now that they're willing to sell." Four prices. One unit. Different things. About 4 billion cubic feet. The target is 7. Thirty minutes at a time, in the worst case. "The clock is ticking very loudly right now." Comment on the DNR preliminary decision by August 19th. ## What we verified - AIDEA deputy director Brandon Brefczynski wrote that there is no committed data center tenant, industrial developer, site plan, power source, cooling system, water supply plan or construction schedule. [Anchorage Daily News opinion, signed by AIDEA deputy director Brandon Brefczynski](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/08/04/opinion-the-best-time-to-shape-mat-su-development-is-before-it-begins/), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The Alaska Department of Natural Resources preliminary decision concerns approximately 19,950 acres north of Houston. [Anchorage Daily News opinion, signed by AIDEA deputy director Brandon Brefczynski](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/08/04/opinion-the-best-time-to-shape-mat-su-development-is-before-it-begins/), primary document, 2026-08-04. - The DNR preliminary decision remains open for public comment through August 19th, after which DNR will decide whether and under what conditions to proceed. [Anchorage Daily News opinion, signed by AIDEA deputy director Brandon Brefczynski](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/08/04/opinion-the-best-time-to-shape-mat-su-development-is-before-it-begins/), primary document, 2026-08-04. - AIDEA says it has declared approximately 495 million dollars in dividends to the state, including the dividend declared for fiscal year 2026. [Anchorage Daily News opinion, signed by AIDEA deputy director Brandon Brefczynski](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/08/04/opinion-the-best-time-to-shape-mat-su-development-is-before-it-begins/), primary document, 2026-08-04. - Fed Governor Lisa D. Cook said in Anchorage that the most dire predictions about AI job losses have not materialized and that she still sees the development as a significant risk that has not grown over the past year. [Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System](https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/cook20260805a.htm), primary document, 2026-08-05. - Overall business investment rose at a 10 percent annual rate in the first half of the year, Fed Governor Lisa D. Cook said. [Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System](https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/cook20260805a.htm), primary document, 2026-08-05. - Alaska's unemployment rate is 4.4 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as cited by Fed Governor Lisa D. Cook in Anchorage. [Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System](https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/cook20260805a.htm), primary document, 2026-08-05. - Enstar has already turned away new, large-scale customers in order to focus on supplying existing ratepayers, Alaska Public Media reported, citing president and CEO John Sims. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar president and CEO John Sims said a winter like last year would bring significant challenges and likely rolling blackouts. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Imported LNG prices were running right around 22 dollars per MCF, Enstar's president said. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar's weighted average cost of gas at the time was 10.80 dollars. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/southcentral-alaska-gas-utility-says-bills-likely-to-rise-amid-supply-shortage), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar's standard contract price for Hilcorp gas is 8.78 dollars per thousand cubic feet. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar offered new producers a premium of 17.50 dollars per thousand cubic feet and its president said it has not encouraged companies to drill more. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas), report, 2026-07-28. - Enstar president John Sims said nobody has the gas right now that they are willing to sell. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas), report, 2026-07-28. - Hilcorp has drilled 192 wells in Cook Inlet since 2011 and 27 new wells in 2026. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas), report, 2026-07-28. - Matanuska Electric Association's Eklutna generation station has a capacity of 171 megawatts. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-07-28/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas), report, 2026-07-28. - Cook Inlet Natural Gas Storage Alaska now holds about 4 billion cubic feet of gas. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/mea-says-rolling-blackouts-possible-under-worst-case-winter-gas-shortage/), report, 2026-07-29. - The utility normally likes to have 7 billion cubic feet in storage at the start of cold weather. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/mea-says-rolling-blackouts-possible-under-worst-case-winter-gas-shortage/), report, 2026-07-29. - MEA chief executive Tony Izzo said curtailment periods would be limited to 30 minutes so buildings would not cool to levels that could pose hazards. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/mea-says-rolling-blackouts-possible-under-worst-case-winter-gas-shortage/), report, 2026-07-29. - Fairbanks saw a 60 percent increase in the cost of fuel last winter when Golden Valley Electric Association had to switch to diesel. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/mea-says-rolling-blackouts-possible-under-worst-case-winter-gas-shortage/), report, 2026-07-29. - Gov. Mike Dunleavy rejected a conference committee bill and called a third Alaska LNG special session beginning July 27th. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-16/dunleavy-rejecting-corporate-tax-change-calls-third-alaska-lng-special-session), report, 2026-07-16. - The Alaska Senate passed the LNG tax measure 11 to 8 on July 16th and the House vote ended in a 19 to 19 tie. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-16/dunleavy-rejecting-corporate-tax-change-calls-third-alaska-lng-special-session), report, 2026-07-16. - The Alaska LNG project is expected to cost as much as 54.5 billion dollars. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-20/hilcorp-killed-alaska-lng-bill-some-legislators-say-but-governor-calls-the-claim-bulls-t), report, 2026-07-20. - The rejected LNG bill would have required the state and local governments to forgo more than 10 billion dollars in revenue over 30 years. [Alaska Beacon, republished by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-20/hilcorp-killed-alaska-lng-bill-some-legislators-say-but-governor-calls-the-claim-bulls-t), report, 2026-07-20. - House Speaker Bryce Edgmon said the clock is ticking very loudly and that if it is not done this special session he does not know that there will be another opportunity this year. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-27/lawmakers-say-third-alaska-lng-session-is-dunleavys-last-chance-to-make-a-deal), report, 2026-07-27. - The Air Force solicitation AFCEC-26-R-0006 sought AI data center development at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station, with responses due June 29th, 2026. [HigherGov, aggregating the federal solicitation](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/rflp-artificial-intelligence-ai-data-center-deve-afcec-26-r-0006-o-db695/), report, 2026-04-10. - The Air Force offered five sites for lease at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson ranging from about 60 acres to nearly 200 acres. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/military/2026/05/05/the-military-wants-to-host-data-centers-in-alaska-raising-questions-about-whether-theres-enough-gas-to-power-them/), report, 2026-05-05. - The Air Force solicitation says the JBER sites have insufficient power for a data center and will require a new connection to Chugach Electric Association in Anchorage. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/military/2026/05/05/the-military-wants-to-host-data-centers-in-alaska-raising-questions-about-whether-theres-enough-gas-to-power-them/), report, 2026-05-05. - Chugach Electric's gas supply contract with Hilcorp Alaska, its primary supplier, is set to end in 2028. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/military/2026/05/05/the-military-wants-to-host-data-centers-in-alaska-raising-questions-about-whether-theres-enough-gas-to-power-them/), report, 2026-05-05. - The Air Force lease offer covers about 4,700 acres across 12 identified parcels at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station. [ExecutiveGov](https://www.executivegov.com/articles/air-force-ai-data-centers-alaska), report, 2026-04-13. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.