# Fairbanks Wrote One Line Twice

> The Air Force offered federal land for AI data centers. The pause Fairbanks North Star Borough asked for can't reach a foot of it.

Published 2026-09-01 by Alaska AI. 9 slides.
Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-09-01/

## What we verified

- The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly adopted Resolution No. 2026-25, A Resolution Identifying And Supporting Legislative Priorities. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Clerk's Office, Action Memorandum](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13145,plainText=false)), primary document, 2026-08-31.
- The Assembly adopted the resolution at its Regular Assembly Meeting on August 27th. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Clerk's Office, Action Memorandum](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13145,plainText=false)), primary document, 2026-08-31.
- The borough's public calendar lists one Regular Assembly Meeting in August 2026 and it falls on August 27th. [Fairbanks North Star Borough](https://www.fnsb.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=&month=8&year=2026&day=27&CID=14), primary document, 2026-09-02.
- The sponsor of record for the legislative priorities resolution is the Assembly Committee of the Whole. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Clerk's Office, Action Memorandum](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13145,plainText=false)), primary document, 2026-08-31.
- The action memorandum recording the adoption was written by Borough Clerk April Trickey and addressed to Mayor Grier Hopkins. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Clerk's Office, Action Memorandum](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13145,plainText=false)), primary document, 2026-08-31.
- The resolution asks for a moratorium on the permitting, leasing or construction of new commercial data centers on state-owned or municipal lands in Alaska. [Fairbanks North Star Borough, Resolution 2026-25 in the August 27, 2026 Assembly agenda packet](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13110,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-08-20.
- The moratorium would run until the State of Alaska and local governments adopt standards addressing electrical demand, water consumption and shortages, environmental impacts, noise, air quality and land use pollution. [Fairbanks North Star Borough, Resolution 2026-25 in the August 27, 2026 Assembly agenda packet](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13110,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-08-20.
- The item is titled Moratorium on Data Center Development in Alaska in the resolution. [Fairbanks North Star Borough, Resolution 2026-25 in the August 27, 2026 Assembly agenda packet](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13110,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-08-20.
- The state half of the resolution carries 21 legislative priorities. [Fairbanks North Star Borough, Resolution 2026-25 in the August 27, 2026 Assembly agenda packet](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13110,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-08-20.
- The federal half of the resolution carries 4 legislative priorities. [Fairbanks North Star Borough, Resolution 2026-25 in the August 27, 2026 Assembly agenda packet](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13110,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-08-20.
- Garrett Armstrong holds Assembly seat C and serves as Finance Vice Chair. [Fairbanks North Star Borough](https://www.fnsb.gov/172/Assemblymembers), primary document, 2026-09-02.
- Scott Crass is the Presiding Officer of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and holds seat H. [Fairbanks North Star Borough](https://www.fnsb.gov/172/Assemblymembers), primary document, 2026-09-02.
- The Air Force solicitation for AI data center development on the three Alaska installations carries the number AFCEC-26-R-0006. [SAM.gov, Department of the Air Force](https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/e1f00a73b56e493eaa84ba281e9db695), primary document, 2026-04-10.
- The solicitation is titled RFLP Artificial Intelligence AI Data Center Development at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, and Clear Space Force Station. [SAM.gov, Department of the Air Force](https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/e1f00a73b56e493eaa84ba281e9db695), primary document, 2026-04-10.
- The Air Force posted the request for lease proposals on April 10th, set a response deadline of May 29th, and the record was archived on June 13th with no award recorded. [SAM.gov, Department of the Air Force](https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/e1f00a73b56e493eaa84ba281e9db695), primary document, 2026-04-10.
- The Air Force said it would evaluate all proposals received to select one or more offerors as potential lessees with whom to enter lease negotiations. [SAM.gov, Department of the Air Force](https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/e1f00a73b56e493eaa84ba281e9db695), primary document, 2026-04-10.
- The solicitation lets a bidder propose a project at one installation rather than all three. [SAM.gov, Department of the Air Force](https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v2/opportunities/e1f00a73b56e493eaa84ba281e9db695), primary document, 2026-04-10.
- The Fairbanks North Star Borough had an estimated population of 97,083 in 2025. [Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis](https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/pop/index.cfm), primary document, 2026-07-01.
- The Assembly's 2027 legislative priorities list totals 25 items across the state and federal sections. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- The data center moratorium is the only item that appears on both the state and the federal halves of the list. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- Assemblymember Garrett Armstrong proposed adding the moratorium as a state legislative priority at an August 6th work session, and an amendment then replicated it as a federal priority. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- The resolution as written extends the requested moratorium only to state-owned and municipal lands, but Presiding Officer Scott Crass said by phone that federal lands were intended too. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- Armstrong told the Assembly that a moratorium is not a novel idea. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- Sarah Hollister told the Assembly that strict regulations should be established before tech conglomerates come knocking. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- Sarah Hollister said the borough needs to work out how to protect the community until there is a statewide moratorium. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/09/02/fairbanks-borough-weighs-data-center-regulations-seeks-state-moratorium/), report, 2026-09-01.
- Mayor Grier Hopkins said the community wants to know how data centers can best be regulated and where if anywhere they should go. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/09/02/fairbanks-borough-weighs-data-center-regulations-seeks-state-moratorium/), report, 2026-09-01.
- The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported the Assembly adopted its 2027 state and federal legislative priorities on Thursday. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/school-testing-data-center-moratorium-spark-discussion-at-assembly/article_6ac582a2-1e7b-41a0-926c-e2389cfa67c0.html), report, 2026-08-30.
- The News-Miner described the moratorium as a hold on permitting, leasing or construction of such facilities on state-owned and municipal lands. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/school-testing-data-center-moratorium-spark-discussion-at-assembly/article_6ac582a2-1e7b-41a0-926c-e2389cfa67c0.html), report, 2026-08-30.
- The Air Force offered roughly 4,700 acres across Air Force and Space Force installations in Alaska for AI data center development. [Air and Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-land-ai-data-centers-three-alaska-bases/), report, 2026-04-11.
- Twelve parcels were identified for potential data center development across the three Alaska installations. [Air and Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-land-ai-data-centers-three-alaska-bases/), report, 2026-04-11.
- The Air Force held an industry day on April 23rd and offered site visits at Elmendorf Richardson, Clear and Eielson on April 28th to April 30th. [Air and Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-land-ai-data-centers-three-alaska-bases/), report, 2026-04-11.
- KUAC reported the moratorium request follows a federal request for proposals to lease land at Eielson Air Force Base, Clear Space Force Station and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for data center development. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- KUAC reported early-stage plans for data centers on state land on the North Slope and near Houston in the Mat-Su Borough. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/2026-08-31/in-legislative-priorities-fairbanks-north-star-borough-assembly-doubles-up-on-ai-data-center-moratorium-request), report, 2026-08-31.
- Eielson Air Force Base sits about 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks and lies within the Fairbanks North Star Borough. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eielson_Air_Force_Base), report, 2026-09-02.
- Clear Space Force Station lies within the city limits of Anderson, which is in the Denali Borough and not the Fairbanks North Star Borough. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson,_Alaska), report, 2026-09-02.

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