# Alaska AI, full text corpus Every article published by Alaska AI, newest first. Latest article 2026-07-29. Canonical pages live under https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/. # The Machine Makes Time. Who Owns the Clock? > On a Cook Inlet salmon boat this month, a sockeye enters a steel box on deck and leaves it iced. Published 2026-07-29 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-29/ ## The story Not a better fish. More hours. Scan. Spike. Cut. Ice. Six and a half seconds. Computer vision picks the fish and the path. A spike to the hindbrain, a cut at the gills, then into slush ice. Seven hours becomes sixty. That gap is the product. A suffocated salmon stiffens in about seven hours. Shinkei says its process pushes that to sixty. Same fish. The only thing added is time, and it is added on an Alaska deck. Every one of those numbers is the company's own. None of it has been tested by anyone outside Shinkei. That does not make it false. It makes it unaudited, which is a different thing. More than 1,300 permits. A handful of boats. What is not public is how many of these boats are running the robot this season. The machine is free. The split is not disclosed. Nobody here is being fleeced. What is not on the record anywhere is the share, and a share you cannot see is hard to bargain over. The fish stays Alaskan. The asset does not. Khawaja says the company handles and markets the fish under its own brand. The hours are made on an Alaska deck. None of it is on a shelf yet. IntraFish says the retail rollout is expected this summer. On the day this deck was built, the brand's own species list ran to six fish and none of them was salmon. When the value moves from the fish to the clock, who should own the clock? ## What we verified - Shinkei Systems announced PSDN-S as its newest harvesting robot created to bring Seremoni Grade handling to Alaska's wild salmon industry. [Shinkei Systems company LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shinkeisystems_meet-psdn-s-shinkeis-newest-harvesting-activity-7485731065567981568-f_mm), primary document, 2026-07-23. - Shinkei says PSDN-S was built to make its harvesting technology more practical for the smaller boats used throughout Alaska's salmon fisheries. [Shinkei Systems company LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shinkeisystems_meet-psdn-s-shinkeis-newest-harvesting-activity-7485731065567981568-f_mm), primary document, 2026-07-23. - Shinkei's website says PSDN extends shelf life 3x. [Shinkei Systems](https://shinkei.systems/), primary document, 2026-07-29. - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says more than 1,300 drift and set gillnet limited entry permits exist for the Upper Cook Inlet area. [Alaska Department of Fish and Game](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareauci.main), primary document, 2026-07-29. - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says sockeye salmon are the most important species by economic value in Upper Cook Inlet. [Alaska Department of Fish and Game](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareauci.main), primary document, 2026-07-29. - NOAA Fisheries says the 2026 commercial fishing season for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area opens on June 22 and closes on or before August 15. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/commercial-fishing/salmon-management-federal-waters-cook-inlet-cook-inlet-eez), primary document, 2026-07-10. - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported the 2025 statewide commercial salmon harvest at 194.8 million fish worth approximately 541 million dollars. [Alaska Department of Fish and Game](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=pressreleases.pr&release=2025_11_04), primary document, 2025-11-04. - IntraFish published an article headlined 'Shinkei rolls out robot-harvested Alaska salmon' on 22 July 2026. [IntraFish](https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/shinkei-rolls-out-robot-harvested-alaska-salmon/2-1-2019898), report, 2026-07-22. - IntraFish's subhead says Shinkei expects to roll out its Seremoni Grade salmon to select retail and restaurant partners this summer. [IntraFish](https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/shinkei-rolls-out-robot-harvested-alaska-salmon/2-1-2019898), report, 2026-07-22. - IntraFish's photo caption places Shinkei Systems working with fishermen in Alaska's Cook Inlet in 2026. [IntraFish](https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/shinkei-rolls-out-robot-harvested-alaska-salmon/2-1-2019898), report, 2026-07-22. - Shinkei chief executive Saif Khawaja said the company owns the machines and puts them on the boats for free. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - Khawaja said Shinkei splits the proceeds variably with the fishermen it works with. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - Khawaja said Shinkei handles and markets the fish under its own brand Seremoni Grade. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - Shinkei's lead mechanical engineer Waiman Meinhold described the deck machine as about the size of a refrigerator. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - Shinkei says the machine scans a fish, spikes the brain, cuts the gills and puts it into slush ice in 6.5 seconds or less. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - Khawaja said Shinkei can build a machine every two weeks. [National Fisherman](https://www.nationalfisherman.com/robots-on-deck), report, 2025-08-06. - The Spoon reported that each fish is processed in about six seconds. [The Spoon](https://thespoon.tech/shinkei-hopes-bringing-robotics-ai-to-the-fishing-boat-leads-to-fresher-fish-and-less-waste/), report, 2025-12-18. - The Spoon reported that Shinkei uses computer vision AI to scan the fish and determine the fastest and least stressful path forward. [The Spoon](https://thespoon.tech/shinkei-hopes-bringing-robotics-ai-to-the-fishing-boat-leads-to-fresher-fish-and-less-waste/), report, 2025-12-18. - The Spoon reported that a traditionally suffocated fish enters rigor mortis in about 7 hours while Shinkei's process expands that up to 60 hours. [The Spoon](https://thespoon.tech/shinkei-hopes-bringing-robotics-ai-to-the-fishing-boat-leads-to-fresher-fish-and-less-waste/), report, 2025-12-18. - The Spoon reported that Shinkei recently raised 22 million dollars in a Series A co-led by Founders Fund and Interlagos. [The Spoon](https://thespoon.tech/shinkei-hopes-bringing-robotics-ai-to-the-fishing-boat-leads-to-fresher-fish-and-less-waste/), report, 2025-12-18. - The Spoon reported that Shinkei works with eight boats sourcing black cod, rockfish and red snapper. [The Spoon](https://thespoon.tech/shinkei-hopes-bringing-robotics-ai-to-the-fishing-boat-leads-to-fresher-fish-and-less-waste/), report, 2025-12-18. - Shinkei acquired a 16,000 square foot fish processing facility in Tacoma, Washington from FATHOM Seafood. [SalmonBusiness](https://www.salmonbusiness.com/robot-powered-seafood-firm-shinkei-expands-with-us-west-coast-processing-facility/), report, 2026-03-13. - The Tacoma plant was reported to open in spring 2026 with a core workforce of more than 50 employees plus seasonal hires. [SalmonBusiness](https://www.salmonbusiness.com/robot-powered-seafood-firm-shinkei-expands-with-us-west-coast-processing-facility/), report, 2026-03-13. - Shinkei said the Tacoma plant would source fish from fishermen in Alaska, Washington and California. [Robotics and Automation News](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/03/11/robotic-seafood-company-shinkei-systems-acquires-first-processing-plant-to-scale-nationwide/99505/), report, 2026-03-11. - Khawaja said NERA uses Shinkei's proprietary datasets to show how fresh each fish is and how many days it can be sold. [Robotics and Automation News](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/03/11/robotic-seafood-company-shinkei-systems-acquires-first-processing-plant-to-scale-nationwide/99505/), report, 2026-03-11. - Khawaja told the Los Angeles Times his end goal is grocery shoppers buying fish that lasts three times as long, tastes better and is handled humanely. [Los Angeles Times republished by AOL](https://www.aol.com/news/robot-uses-japanese-tradition-ai-100000819.html), report, 2025-07-29. - Deckboss reported that the 2025 Upper Cook Inlet sockeye harvest was worth 35.8 million dollars at an estimated average price of 1.73 dollars per pound. [Deckboss, Wesley Loy](https://deckboss.blogspot.com/2025/10/impressive-numbers-for-cook-inlet_02076007099.html), report, 2025-10-24. - KFSK reported that Silver Bay Seafoods announced a Bristol Bay sockeye base price of 1.60 dollars per pound for the 2026 season. [KFSK CoastAlaska](https://www.kfsk.org/2026/07/15/commercial-salmon-prices-up-this-year-in-alaska/), report, 2026-07-15. - Trade coverage of the Alaska rollout says Shinkei provides its robots to Alaskan fishermen at no cost while purchasing their catch at premium prices. [RobotToday republishing Leaderobot](https://robottoday.com/industry-briefing/shinkei-systems-introduces-ai-robotics-for-enhanced-fresh-fish-processing/9299), report, 2026-07-23. - FISHBIO reported Khawaja saying the company is doing the equivalent of surgery on the fish in a very difficult maritime environment. [FISHBIO republishing IntraFish](https://fishbio.com/news/shinkei-rolls-out-robot-harvested-alaska-salmon/), report, 2026-07-23. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # One Line Out. Alaska's One Name on the AI Power Pledge > Cordova sits on Prince William Sound, off the state highway system, with no transmission line to another community. Published 2026-07-26 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-26/ ## The story One Alaska utility signed. Its wires reach no one else. 281 names on the pledge. One of them is in Alaska. Cordova Electric Cooperative is filed under Cooperative on the White House signatory page. No Railbelt utility appears on the list as read. Five commitments. Nobody has to keep them. USA TODAY and POWER both call the pledge non binding. Twenty three governors signed an addendum promising to implement its principles to the greatest extent possible. 1,566 customers. 18 megawatts. No line out. Cordova Electric Cooperative runs one diesel plant and two hydroelectric plants. The town is off the state highway system and the cooperative is not connected by transmission line to any other community. Every megawatt in this story, on one axis. It passed the Senate. Then it stopped. SB 250 would have required commission approved contracts so a data center's infrastructure and service costs are borne by the operator rather than shifted to other customers. It passed the Alaska Senate on May 16, 2026 and died in House Community and Regional Affairs. A pledge asks. A contract binds. The other answer is to leave the grid entirely. Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska introduced the DATA Act on April 21, 2026. He says it lets manufacturers run on fully self contained grid of one power systems. A promise is not an instrument. Twenty three governors signed. One Alaska utility signed, as the list read 2026-07-26. Neither signature is a rule. ## What we verified - Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska is one of 23 Republican governors who signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge addendum announced on July 23, 2026. [Republican Governors Association](https://www.rga.org/republican-governors-sign-president-trumps-ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-23. - The pledge preamble states that the American people should not be footing the bill for the benefit of private companies. [Republican Governors Association](https://www.rga.org/republican-governors-sign-president-trumps-ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-23. - The pledge sets five commitments for signing companies, build bring or buy new power supply, pay for new power delivery infrastructure, pay whether they use the power or not, invest in local jobs and workforce development, and contribute to grid and community resilience. [The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the global race for AI is underway and America must win it, but not by asking working families to pay for it. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-expands-historic-ratepayer-protection-pledge-protect-american), primary document, 2026-07-23. - The pledge was first signed on March 4, 2026 by seven AI companies and hyperscalers, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-expands-historic-ratepayer-protection-pledge-protect-american), primary document, 2026-07-23. - Read live on July 26, 2026 the White House signatory page counters showed All 281, Cooperatives 176, Utilities 69 and Data Center Developers 35. [The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova Electric Cooperative is listed as a signatory on the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge page under the Cooperative category. [The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova Electric Cooperative is located in Cordova, Alaska. [Cordova Electric Cooperative](https://www.cordovaelectric.com/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova Electric Cooperative is the only Alaska entity on the White House signatory list as read on July 26, 2026. [The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/ratepayer-protection-pledge/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova Electric Cooperative serves 1,566 customers. [Cordova Electric Cooperative](https://www.cordovaelectric.com/about/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova is not connected by transmission line to other communities. [Cordova Electric Cooperative](https://www.cordovaelectric.com/about/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Cordova Electric Cooperative has total generating capacity of 18 megawatts across one diesel plant and two hydroelectric plants. [Cordova Electric Cooperative](https://www.cordovaelectric.com/about/), primary document, 2026-07-26. - Rep. Nick Begich introduced the House DATA Act of 2026 on April 21, 2026 with Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Burgess Owens as a companion to Senate legislation led by Sen. Tom Cotton. [Office of Rep. Nick Begich](https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-leads-legislation-lower-energy-costs-introduces-house), primary document, 2026-04-21. - Begich says the DATA Act allows manufacturers to operate on fully self contained grid of one power systems so innovation can scale without forcing households to subsidize massive new energy demands. [Office of Rep. Nick Begich](https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-leads-legislation-lower-energy-costs-introduces-house), primary document, 2026-04-21. - The Department of the Air Force is offering approximately 4,700 acres across twelve parcels at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station for potential AI data centers. [U.S. Air Force](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), primary document, 2026-04-10. - Robert Moriarty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, called the land offering a unique opportunity for a true public private partnership supporting the growing demands of the AI industry. [U.S. Air Force](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), primary document, 2026-04-10. - The governors addendum commits signers to implement the principles established in the Ratepayer Protection Pledge to the greatest extent possible in their respective positions. [USA TODAY via Central Oregon Daily](https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/nation-world/23-governors-sign-trumps-cost-pledge-for-data-centers-backbone-of-ai/article_0e204a10-f776-5f29-93b4-04f84a68a7eb.html), report, 2026-07-23. - The pledge is explicitly non binding. [USA TODAY via Central Oregon Daily](https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/nation-world/23-governors-sign-trumps-cost-pledge-for-data-centers-backbone-of-ai/article_0e204a10-f776-5f29-93b4-04f84a68a7eb.html), report, 2026-07-23. - The White House pledge is voluntary and relies on utilities, developers and tech firms to honor nonbinding commitments. [POWER Magazine](https://www.powermag.com/white-house-expands-data-center-ratepayer-pledge-as-congress-moves-to-codify-protections/), report, 2026-07-23. - As POWER reported the July 23 expansion, the coalition covered 187 organizations across three stakeholder groups plus 23 governors, made up of 55 investor owned utilities, 105 electric cooperatives and public power entities, 27 data center developers and the seven AI companies. [POWER Magazine](https://www.powermag.com/white-house-expands-data-center-ratepayer-pledge-as-congress-moves-to-codify-protections/), report, 2026-07-23. - Cordova hosts a small data center that its electric cooperative operates in partnership with Greensparc. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/air-force-solicits-interest-in-alaska-data-centers-but-faces-some-hurdles/article_4a42264e-cadb-4f1c-a8f4-c74d2b099ba2.html), report, 2026-03-01. - The Cordova data center uses only 150 kilowatts and as a pilot project could expand to 3 megawatts and become the cooperative's largest customer. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/air-force-solicits-interest-in-alaska-data-centers-but-faces-some-hurdles/article_4a42264e-cadb-4f1c-a8f4-c74d2b099ba2.html), report, 2026-03-01. - SB 250 by Sen. Loki Tobin was titled An Act relating to data centers and relating to utility service for data centers, was introduced February 18, 2026 and was marked dead May 20, 2026. [BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1974439), report, 2026-07-26. - SB 250 would have required utilities to enter commission approved contracts with data centers so their infrastructure and service costs are borne by the data center operators rather than shifted to other customers. [Davis Wright Tremaine](https://www.dwt.com/blogs/energy--environmental-law-blog/2026/06/alaska-data-center-development-next-steps), report, 2026-06-29. - SB 250 passed the Alaska Senate on May 16, 2026 and then died in the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee. [Davis Wright Tremaine](https://www.dwt.com/blogs/energy--environmental-law-blog/2026/06/alaska-data-center-development-next-steps), report, 2026-06-29. - SB 2 by Sen. Shelley Hughes covered disclosure of election related deepfakes and use of artificial intelligence by state agencies, was introduced January 22, 2025, got one recorded hearing on April 29, 2025 and died. [BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1775660), report, 2026-07-26. - An Alaska provision sponsored by Rep. Sarah Vance prohibiting creation or possession of AI generated child sexual abuse material took effect July 1, 2026. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2026/06/30/education-funding-age-of-consent-and-more-several-alaska-laws-go-into-effect-july-1/), report, 2026-06-30. - UAF energy historian Philip Wight said power is the one requirement Alaska is shortest on. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/air-force-solicits-interest-in-alaska-data-centers-but-faces-some-hurdles/article_4a42264e-cadb-4f1c-a8f4-c74d2b099ba2.html), report, 2026-03-01. - The Railbelt can absorb about 25 megawatts and the planned Eielson microreactor is 5 megawatts. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/air-force-solicits-interest-in-alaska-data-centers-but-faces-some-hurdles/article_4a42264e-cadb-4f1c-a8f4-c74d2b099ba2.html), report, 2026-03-01. - Alaska's third special session on the gas line was called by executive proclamation effective July 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/21/third-special-session-gas-line-begins-next-week-what-makes-it-different-than-last-two/), report, 2026-07-20. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # On File, Off Record. Alaska's AI Governor Race. > 24 days. Published 2026-07-25 by Alaska AI. 10 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-25/ ## The story Alaska governor 2026, 24 days to the primary Cut to the dollar Ruled, never cut Campaign finance reports, week of July 20 2026 What the law required Six people at one AI company, about a fifth of the biggest haul in the field. This deck runs on a model built by Anthropic. Full disclosure, slide 09. 1.8 M since February Six Anthropic employees About a fifth In state share, not disclosed Largest single gift Soldotna to Berkeley The majority came from Lower 48 donors, per Anchorage Daily News. No in state sp What he says he would do "I worry the AI industry has downplayed the risks posed to the public." Candidate survey, Northern Journal, June 2026. Background, outside the 10 day wi The record stops here On data centers he told the Anchorage Daily News that until Alaska has "a proces The same record, the same depth "Most of our national donors, I think, actually, their only agenda is, 'can you Kreiss-Tomkins to the Anchorage Daily News, July 2026 No wrongdoing is alleged in this reporting Kreiss-Tomkins 1.8 M Heilala 1.6 M, 1.4 M his own Begich 1.1 M Taylor 1.0 M Heilala reported nearly 1.6 million dollars, more than 1.4 million of it his own What is already in motion About 4,700 acres at three Alaska bases, offered for AI data centers. Background, federal solicitation Aug 18 primary per news reporting, not the Division of Elections Offers were due June 29 2026. No award has been announced. The next governor inh Alaska requires the money on the record. It does not require the policy. Compelled by law Every number in this deck exists because a law required it. Nothing required any Named answers and named blanks Four candidates did not answer. Two raised about a million each. Not a count of the field. The named answers and non answers in one June 2026 sur Background, Northern Journal, June 2026 1.0 M on file 940,000 on file Gilbert, refuses AI outright DeVries, used AI to answer Others did answer, and two of those answers are shown. Not answering a reporter Six AI rules one candidate has proposed. Six blanks for yours. On the record Liability for harms A deepfake ban AI disclosed in political ads An AI fraud crackdown Children protected from AI A human behind state decisions Source, Alaska Public Media, July 24 2026 These six are one candidate's stated positions, not law. Ask any of the 17 candi Who is telling you this. One article by one reporter, published July 23 2026 by the Anchorage Daily News This deck was made with a Claude model built by Anthropic. Six Anthropic employe This disclosure also rides in the first comment. Save slide 08. Take it to a candidate before August 18. Sources in comments ## What we verified - Offers on the Air Force AI data center lease solicitation were due June 29, 2026 after the original May 29 deadline was extended, and no award is reflected in the federal opportunity record. [HigherGov (federal solicitation record)](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/rflp-artificial-intelligence-ai-data-center-deve-afcec-26-r-0006-o-db695/), primary document, 2026-06-29. - Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has brought in 1.8 million dollars since entering Alaska's governor race in February 2026. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Treg Taylor reported 1 million dollars in fundraising and Adam Crum reported raising nearly 940,000 dollars. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Kreiss-Tomkins said Alaska should have a process and a policy on data centers and that until it does, nothing should happen. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Kreiss-Tomkins wants Alaska to hold AI companies liable for harms caused by their products, ban deepfakes, require the disclosure of AI in political ads, crack down on AI enabled fraud, implement protections for children against AI content, and require a human behind state decisions. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - Kreiss-Tomkins said he is a huge supporter of campaign finance reform because he does not think fundraising should have the role that it does, but that in the system we have, it is important. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - Kreiss-Tomkins said most of his national donors have only one agenda, which is whether he can win. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - Kreiss-Tomkins said that almost universally, if donors think someone can win, then national interest starts to appear. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - Alaska's statewide primary election is August 18, 2026. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - No other candidate in the race had reported spending over 650,000 dollars at the time of the filings. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - No allegation of unlawful or improper contributions is reported in this coverage. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - In a June 2026 candidate survey, Kreiss-Tomkins wrote that at the end of the day it has to be people, not algorithms, making the decisions that shape our lives. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is among the 17 candidates in Alaska's governor race. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - In the same survey Kreiss-Tomkins wrote that Alaskans' personal information belongs to Alaskans alone and should not be fed into third party systems without consent. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - In the same survey Kreiss-Tomkins wrote that Alaska's power and water are not a giveaway and that no Alaskan should watch their electric bill climb to subsidize a server farm. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - In the same survey Kreiss-Tomkins wrote that he worries the AI industry has downplayed the risks posed to the public and that the federal government has been totally flat footed. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Republican candidate Michael Gilbert answered the survey by saying he will not use any AI in his administration. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Mat-Su borough mayor Edna DeVries ended her survey answer on AI by disclosing that she used AI to write it. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Republican candidate Shelley Hughes says she authored the first AI legislation in Alaska a few years ago. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Republican candidate Lesil McGuire said any algorithmic decision affecting Alaskans must have an explainable, human appealable path, and that every public facing AI output must be reviewed and signed off by a qualified state employee before release. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Independent candidate Bill Walker said manufactured ideas cannot substitute genuine, dynamic thought or input from Alaskans. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Treg Taylor and Adam Crum and independent Meda DeWitt did not respond to the survey's questions despite multiple requests. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/alaska-governors-race-survey-ai-policy-and-news-sources/), report, 2026-06-25. - The Air Force issued a request for lease proposals making about 4,700 acres at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station available for AI data center development. [Air and Space Forces Magazine (Matthew Cox)](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-land-ai-data-centers-three-alaska-bases/), report, 2026-04-11. - Kreiss-Tomkins reported the largest haul in the field, ahead of Matt Heilala at nearly 1.6 million dollars and Tom Begich at 1.1 million dollars. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Six employees of Anthropic, a California based artificial intelligence company, collectively gave Kreiss-Tomkins 372,000 dollars. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - The campaign's largest single contribution came from an Anthropic employee named Drake Thomas, who gave 100,000 dollars. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Drake Thomas grew up in Soldotna and now lives in Berkeley, California. [Alaska Public Media (Anchorage Daily News)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-07-24/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-1-8-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians), report, 2026-07-24. - The majority of Kreiss-Tomkins's funding came from wealthy donors in the Lower 48, per Anchorage Daily News reporting. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Matt Heilala reported a total haul of nearly 1.6 million dollars, with more than 1.4 million dollars of it from himself. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. - Tom Begich reported a total haul of 1.1 million dollars. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/07/23/democrat-in-alaskas-governor-race-reports-18-million-fundraising-haul-driven-by-californians/), report, 2026-07-23. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # 500 to Fewer Than 12. One Office Holds the Pen. > More than 500 comments landed on a North Slope AI data center, and fewer than a dozen backed it. Published 2026-07-24 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-24/ ## The story Form letters lacking substance. 500 said no. One office decides. A square mile of gravel. 26 miles from Deadhorse. Bigger than the whole grid. Not every objection is equal. Your bill is the weak argument. The real fight is land, gravel, gas. Form letters lacking substance. When 500 say no and fewer than a dozen say yes, should one office hold the pen? ## What we verified - Alaska DNR's Division of Oil and Gas issued a preliminary decision dated May 12, 2026 regarding the Stak Energy lease (ADL 422741). [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices (ADL 422741)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - The decision would grant STAK Energy Corporation a 50-year lease of 715.4 acres of state land. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - The site is located adjacent to the Dalton Highway approximately 26 miles south of Deadhorse. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - The site is near Dalton Highway Milepost 390. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The proposed use is a commercial natural-gas-powered energy facility including modular high-performance computing (AI data center) units. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - The project proposes 1 to 3 gigawatts of on-site natural-gas-fired generation. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The facility would consume 350 to 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, roughly 128 to 183 billion cubic feet per year. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Reported cost is about $500 million for initial site development and more than $10 billion for the total project. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Site work includes a principal gravel pad of approximately 640 acres, a 1.8-mile gravel access road, and roughly 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel fill. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The public comment window originally closed at 4:30 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on June 15, 2026, and was extended to July 17, 2026 due to comment volume. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - More than 500 public comments were received, with fewer than a dozen in support of the project. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. - Stak Chief Strategy Officer John Boyle, a former Alaska DNR commissioner, said the vast majority of comments are form letters lacking substance. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The generators could produce a gigawatt or more, roughly 30% more than the peak demand of urban Alaska's entire grid. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Governed First, Alaska Native Health and AI > Data sovereignty is not a privacy setting. Published 2026-07-23 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-23/ ## The story In Alaska Native health, the Tribe decides what AI runs. Sovereignty means the Tribe governs its own data. In Alaska, that record is life and death. One is live. One is proposed. Two rule sets, one authority. Alaska Native institutions convened this. In 2022, a third had never heard of AI. This rests on one paper. Adopt fast. Govern first. ## What we verified - A symposium-perspectives paper on AI/ML in Alaska Native healthcare was published May 23, 2026 in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health (doi 10.1080/22423982.2026.2677426). [International Journal of Circumpolar Health (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - The 2025 Anchorage symposium had 31 participants. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - Symposium participants by organization, ANTHC 38%, Southcentral Foundation 27%, Maniilaq Association 15%, Stanford 8%, CDC Arctic Investigation Program 8%, Other 4%. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - Symposium participants by role, researchers 27%, IT/programming 24%, leadership 17%, clinicians 12%, compliance 5%, other 15%. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - Alaska's air-evacuation rates are cited as at least 40 times higher than anywhere else in the US. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - Over 80% of Alaska communities are not connected to the road system. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - In the 2022 baseline, 35% of respondents said they had never heard the term AI/ML. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - The paper reports that overall knowledge, use, and awareness of AI/ML increased substantially between the 2022 and 2025 symposia. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - The governance approach references the CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) and the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - The system operates under Indigenous data sovereignty, the right of a federally recognized Tribe to govern the collection, ownership, and use of its own data. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - A rural tribal health organization has implemented a Cerner AI Scribe in primary care visits. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - ANTHC shared a statewide organizational AI use policy. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - A medevac decision-support model is under development (proposed, not yet deployed). [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - The paper's authors span Southcentral Foundation, Stanford University, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Maniilaq Association. [IJCH (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13202658/), primary document. - A companion community-engaged AI framework paper for the Alaska Tribal Health System was published April 7, 2025 in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. [Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence (via PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12009764/), primary document. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # The Giveaway, Surveyed. Alaska's Free Land for AI > Alaska is moving to hand 31 square miles of public land to its own development agency for zero dollars. Published 2026-07-22 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-22/ ## The story 31 SQUARE / MILES OF / PUBLIC LAND. / FREE. The state moved to give it to its own development agency. 19,950 acres. / No price. Under a preliminary decision, a state agency would convey about 19,950 acres of public land, roughly 31 square miles, to AIDEA, the state development authority. The site sits two miles north of Houston. Case ADL 234762. What the land is for The plan is a multi-use industrial and energy district, and scalable data centers are named among the uses, per the project decision and local coverage. Data centers are the physical plant of modern AI. Free land is meant to pull them in. Alaska has 8. / Virginia has 639. Alaska has 8 data centers, among the fewest of any state. Virginia has 639. The state sees a hole to fill, and cheap public land is one lever it can pull. Not answering demand. / Building it. This is build it and they will come, aimed at a public asset. Free land is the subsidy, spent before a single data center exists. The town next door says no Houston City Council member Lisa Johansen has proposed banning data centers inside city limits. But the state parcel sits about two miles north of Houston, outside the line a town of a few thousand can draw. The town can zone itself, not the land next door. The choice was never data centers or nothing. It is the terms. Free or priced. Who zones it, who profits, and who carries the cost if the servers never come. Right now it is only a boundary on a map, which is what a comment period is for. It is not decided yet This is a preliminary decision. Public comment on case ADL 234762 runs through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. If nothing significant changes, the state can then issue it as the final finding and decision. Comment before Aug 19 Read case ADL 234762 and tell the state what 31 square miles of public land is worth. That is the one price control left before this goes final. Should the state give public land away to attract data centers, or set a price the town next door helps decide? ## What we verified - The DNR preliminary decision proposes conveying approximately 19,950 acres of state land in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224431), primary document, 2026-07-10. - The proposed conveyance is filed under case number ADL 234762. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224431), primary document, 2026-07-10. - The public comment period on the proposed transfer runs through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224431), primary document, 2026-07-10. - The parcel sits approximately two miles north of Houston in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224431), primary document, 2026-07-10. - DNR proposes a noncompetitive, no-cost conveyance of the land to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. [Alaska DNR Online Public Notices](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224431), primary document, 2026-07-10. - Alaska has long leaned on military artillery for avalanche control and is now moving to remote systems. [Drone Amplified (Alaska DOT case page)](https://droneamplified.com/alaska-dot-drone-amplified-uas-avalanche-control-montis/), primary document, 2024-02-09. - Alaska DOT is credited as a collaborator in bringing MONTIS through the FAA approval process. [Drone Amplified](https://droneamplified.com/drone-amplified-faa-approval-montis-avalanche-control-drone/), primary document, 2026-07-08. - On July 8, 2026 Drone Amplified announced the FAA granted regulatory approval for operation of its MONTIS drone-based avalanche control system. [Drone Amplified](https://droneamplified.com/drone-amplified-faa-approval-montis-avalanche-control-drone/), primary document, 2026-07-08. - The bill authorizes 2.6 billion dollars in military construction and projects specifically for Alaska. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), primary document, 2026-06-23. - Senator Dan Sullivan secured 56 provisions and amendments for Alaska in the FY2027 defense authorization bill. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), primary document, 2026-06-23. - The bill includes 10 million dollars for autonomy within the Golden Dome missile defense system, which will include projects in Alaska. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), primary document, 2026-06-23. - The bill directs establishment of an Analytics and Simulation Laboratory within the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), primary document, 2026-06-23. - Alaska currently has 8 data centers, among the fewest of any state. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-16. - The proposed industrial park is planned to include scalable data centers as part of a multi-use industrial and energy development district. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/state-agency-plans-houston-area-industrial-park-data-centers-distribution-hub/), report, 2026-07-15. - Houston City Council member Lisa Johansen has proposed a ban on data centers within city limits. [Mat-Su Sentinel](https://www.matsusentinel.com/state-agency-plans-houston-area-industrial-park-data-centers-distribution-hub/), report, 2026-07-15. - The parcel is roughly 31 square miles. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-16. - Virginia leads all states with 639 data centers. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-16. - On July 14, 2026 the Senate voted 50 to 46 on the FY2027 NDAA, failing the 60-vote threshold needed to bring it to the floor. [Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/senate-democrats-block-ndaa-amid-concerns-on-iran-war-budget-topline/), report, 2026-07-14. - The stalled FY2027 NDAA would authorize about 1.14 trillion dollars in Defense Department funding. [Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/senate-democrats-block-ndaa-amid-concerns-on-iran-war-budget-topline/), report, 2026-07-14. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # A Better Ear Is Not a Recovery > Cook Inlet has about 331 belugas left, and AI can finally hear them through the ship noise. Published 2026-07-21 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-21/ ## The story Now a machine can hear them through the ship noise. Two gates. One white whale. NOAA Fisheries, Microsoft AI for Good and Alaska Fish and Game built a deep learning listener in two stages. Stage one flags a sound. Stage two names the species behind it. Down almost 80 percent. Cook Inlet's belugas are a genetically distinct population, cut off from every other Alaska stock. They fell from about 1,300 whales in 1979 to 279 by 2018, and were listed endangered in 2008. A whale in a wall of noise. Ocean noise is one of the biggest threats NOAA lists for these belugas. In a crowded inlet a single call can vanish under a passing ship. Hearing them at all is the first problem. It learns the calls it used to miss. The model uses contrastive audio language models and active learning. It sorts a sound into beluga, killer whale or humpback, flags the calls it is unsure of for a person to label, and firms up a daily read of where belugas are. Ears below. Eyes above. A separate NOAA led effort, with the U.S. Geological Survey, Microsoft AI for Good and the Naval Research Laboratory, is teaching a cloud model to spot the same whales in satellite images. 331 today. Still far below 1979. The machine measures the whale. It cannot move it. A sharper ear tells managers where and when the belugas are. It does not quiet the ships, refill the prey, or clear the inlet. The hunt has been closed since 2007, and the whales still have not recovered. A better ear is not a recovery. AI can finally hear Alaska's most endangered whale. What would it take to bring it back? ## What we verified - A 2026 study titled "Adaptive Acoustic Monitoring for Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Complex Soundscapes" was published in the journal Marine Mammal Science. [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref record)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - The Cook Inlet beluga population declined by nearly 80 percent between 1979 and 2018, from about 1,300 whales to an estimated 279. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - In 2008, the Cook Inlet beluga population was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - In 2011, NOAA Fisheries designated two areas of Cook Inlet as critical habitat. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - NOAA Fisheries identifies five beluga whale stocks in Alaskan waters, and the Cook Inlet stock is geographically isolated from the others. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - NOAA lists threats to Cook Inlet belugas including ocean noise, prey limitations, habitat impacts, contaminants, predation, strandings, disease and changing climate conditions. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - Although the subsistence hunt has been suspended since 2007, the Cook Inlet beluga population has not recovered as expected. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - The Cook Inlet beluga whale is managed as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS). [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. - The paper was published online first on June 7, 2026, with a print issue dated July 2026. [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref record)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - The study was a NOAA Fisheries, Microsoft AI for Good, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game collaboration; authors include Verena Gill (NOAA Fisheries, Anchorage), Manuel Castellote and Rahul Dodhia and Juan M. Lavista Ferres (Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab), and Lori Polasek (Alaska Department of Fish and Game). [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref record)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - The framework is a deep-learning dual-stage model that separates signal detection from species classification. [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref abstract)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - The model expands beyond belugas to a multi-species context that also includes killer whales and humpback whales. [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref abstract)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - Using contrastive audio-language models and active learning, the framework improved detection of rare species occurrences and strengthened confidence in daily beluga presence estimates across Cook Inlet regions. [Marine Mammal Science (Crossref abstract)](https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1111/mms.70213), report, 2026-06-07. - NOAA leads a separate collaborative effort with the U.S. Geological Survey, Microsoft AI for Good, the Naval Research Laboratory and other partners to detect Cook Inlet belugas in satellite imagery. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/science-data/satellite-monitoring-cook-inlet-beluga-whales), report. - The satellite initiative aims to build a secure cloud-based application that uses machine learning to detect whales and other marine mammals in very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/science-data/satellite-monitoring-cook-inlet-beluga-whales), report. - The best current abundance estimate for the Cook Inlet beluga population is 331 whales, suggesting the population may be stabilizing and possibly increasing. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale), report. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Written in Pencil > A Kenai school district bought an $8,300 AI tool for its classrooms, then started writing the rules to govern it. Published 2026-07-20 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-20/ ## The story AI is already in class. The rulebook is still in pencil. An $8,300 tool is on the desk. The policy is a draft. The tool is paid for. The rulebook is a draft. Kenai's district has spent $8,300 to date on a three year MagicSchool subscription for students and staff. The policy meant to govern it is still a draft. Two questions decide it. Student data is the hard boundary. Under the proposal, teachers could not feed student data into AI tools the district has not approved. Alaska's vetting rules require FERPA and COPPA, the federal student privacy laws. Write it in pencil, not ink. Alaska already has a playbook. Not whether. How. The deadline is fall. Kenai aims to have its AI rules in place by the start of the new school year. Its committee began this work in 2025, building on the state framework. ## What we verified - The Alaska DEED district guidance lays out a 6-step policy development process. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document. - The DEED guidance urges a balanced, human-centered approach that augments human capabilities without replacing essential judgment or interaction. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document. - The DEED vetting checklist explicitly mandates federal student-privacy compliance (FERPA and COPPA). [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document. - The DEED guidance cites that approximately 15% of students are aware of AI-generated explicit images depicting their classmates (a cited rationale for guardrails). [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document. - DEED recommends allowing at least 6-8 weeks for a meaningful AI pilot evaluation. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document. - The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is proposing comprehensive AI policies addressing academic honesty and student data protection. [KBBI/KDLL public radio](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The Alaska DEED framework centers on seven guiding principles, human-centered design, fair access, transparency, oversight, security, ethical use, and cultural responsiveness. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. - Alaska districts named as engaged in AI-policy work include Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Wrangell, and Anchorage. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. - The district has spent $8,300 to date on a three-year MagicSchool subscription for students and staff (an education-specific AI platform). [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Under the proposal, teachers would be barred from feeding student data into AI platforms not approved by the district. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The proposed academic-honesty change defines academic honesty, outlines how AI tools can be used responsibly, and sets consequences for inappropriate use like plagiarism. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The district's AI-specific committee was established in 2025 and reviewed Alaska DEED guidelines in fall 2025. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - District administrators aim to implement the new AI policies by the beginning of the new school year. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Board member Mica VanBuskirk urged that teachers keep discretion over acceptable AI use case by case. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - VanBuskirk framed the urgency of getting AI rules right now. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Assistant Superintendent Kari Dendurent cautioned that overly strict parameters could limit needed flexibility as the policy evolves. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Alaska became the 32nd US state to release a K-12 AI education framework, titled 'Artificial Intelligence for K-12, Recommendations and Considerations for Districts.'. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Reading the Frozen Ground at the Top of America > Under one road in Utqiagvik, the northernmost US city, two buried cables now teach the frozen ground to forecast its own thaw. Published 2026-07-19 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-19/ ## The story The frozen ground now forecasts itself Two buried cables. Three winters of data. One Alaska road. Two cables. One road. A kilometer each. Under one road embankment in Utqiagvik, the northernmost city in the United States, a Penn State team buried a pair of fiber-optic cables, each 1 km (0.6 mi) long, to feel the ground. Warming ground breaks what we build on it Permafrost worldwide is warming, by up to almost 2 F per decade. If the thaw holds, Arctic communities could see billions in damaged roads, pipes, and buildings. The old answer is to guess. The new one is to measure. The wire that listens to frost For 33 months, the cables read temperature and seismic motion straight from the embankment. Terabytes of ground, recorded in the dark. A live twin, fed by the buried cables They fused physics equations with machine learning to build a digital twin, a real-time simulation of that embankment, fed by the cables. This is narrow, physics-informed AI, not a general or generative one. DIGITAL TWIN / UTQIAGVIK EMBANKMENT Not a smarter guess. A guess the ground corrects. Each forecast meets the next real reading, and the gap teaches the model. The value is not certainty. It is a prediction the frozen ground itself keeps grading, season after season. One kilometer, lit. The rest is dark ground. This models one embankment, not the North Slope. The team says the method is broadly transferable, which is a claim, not a deployment. Fund a decade more of ground truth? The lead researcher wants about 10 more years of data, an aspiration, not a funded plan. So the real question for Alaska, keep the wire in the ground, or harden the roads we already know are failing? ## What we verified - A two-stage deep-learning pipeline pairs a patch-based pretrain classifier with HerdNet point detection to count caribou in gigapixel aerial mosaics. [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1727514/full), report, 2026-02-26. - The method achieved F1 scores of 95.5% (2017) and 93.3% (2019), beating baseline initialization. [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1727514/full), report, 2026-02-26. - The study covers five caribou herds distributed across Alaska (Central Arctic, Fortymile, Porcupine, Teshekpuk, Western Arctic). [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1727514/full), report, 2026-02-26. - Imagery was captured at roughly 2 to 4.3 cm ground-sampling distance from about 450 m altitude during July 2017 and July 2019 surveys. [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1727514/full), report, 2026-02-26. - The study was published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution on February 26, 2026. [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1727514/full), report, 2026-02-26. - A Penn State-led team buried a pair of 1-kilometer-long fiber-optic cables to collect thermal and seismic data from the ground. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - A section of the cables runs along a road embankment in Utqiagvik, Alaska, the northernmost city in the United States. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The cables collected temperature and seismic data from September 2021 to June 2024. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - Permafrost worldwide is warming, with ground temperatures increasing by up to almost 2 degrees F per decade (a general statement about global permafrost, not the measured Utqiagvik embankment). [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - Lead researcher Ming Xiao said about 10 more years of data would be extremely valuable to the broader scientific community. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The work was led by Ming Xiao (professor of civil engineering) and Tieyuan Zhu (associate professor of geosciences), both at Penn State. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Earth Surface in 2026. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The framework is a digital twin, it processes terabytes of data to create a real-time simulation of an area or object. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The method combines physics equations, mathematical functions, and AI-powered machine learning (physics-informed machine learning). [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The approach more accurately predicts the embankment permafrost's physical properties, including unfrozen water content, ground temperature, and how heat moves through the ground. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - The digital twin simulates one specific road embankment, but the researchers say the idea and process can be broadly transferable to other cold-region infrastructure monitoring. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - Arctic communities and governments could see billions of dollars in infrastructure damage over the coming decades if the thawing trend continues. [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-twin-alaska-permafrost-real.html), report, 2026-06-16. - Alaska DNR proposes to lease a 715.4-acre parcel of North Slope state land (ADL 422741) for a natural-gas-powered high-performance-computing facility. [aws.state.ak.us](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The proposed lease term is 50 years. [aws.state.ak.us](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The public comment deadline was July 17, 2026, at 4:30 PM Alaska Daylight Time. [aws.state.ak.us](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The site is about 26 miles south of Deadhorse and roughly one mile west of the Dalton Highway. [aws.state.ak.us](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - DNR received more than 500 public comments, of which fewer than a dozen endorsed the project. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. - The comment period was extended to July 17 due to the volume of comments, public interest, and requests for extension. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. - The campus would include 1 to 3 gigawatts of on-site natural-gas-fired generation. [northern.org](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The facility would burn roughly 350 to 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. [northern.org](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Construction would require roughly 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel fill. [northern.org](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Estimated project cost exceeds $10 billion, with roughly $500 million in up-front site development. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Alaska data centers and your power bill, on the grid or off > A data center on the North Slope cannot touch your Anchorage power bill. One in the Mat-Su can. Published 2026-07-18 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-18/ ## The story Will a data center raise your power bill? In Alaska the honest answer splits on one line. On the grid, or off it. OFF THE GRID. Runs on its own gas. Never touches your wires. ON THE GRID. Shares the wires, and the bill, with you. The one everyone feared is off the line. STAK's proposed campus sits about 25 miles south of Deadhorse and self-generates a gigawatt or more, roughly 30 percent above urban Alaska's peak. It burns gas behind the meter, with no wire to the Railbelt. This one plugs into your grid. The state just moved to hand AIDEA about 30 square miles of land near Houston for a data-center district, on the Railbelt. Public comment is open through August 19. It all turns on the rate deal. RATES COULD FALL. A big anchor load can spread fixed costs, Launch Alaska argues. RATES COULD RISE. Or compete for scarce Railbelt gas. The case for lower, in one chart. And every 1% drop leaves about $2.5M in fixed costs with nowhere to go. A big anchor load could spread those costs, the argument goes. Could. Alaska is at the very beginning. Eight data centers here, against the nation's leader at 639, as reported by Alaska's News Source. The rules get written while the count is still small. Build vs ban is the wrong fight. Houston is weighing a ban, postponed to August 13. But the lever is the rate deal. Anchorage adopted guardrails 10 to 2. The statewide bill that would set rate rules, HB 259, still sits in the House Energy Committee. Before the next data center plugs in, ask one thing. Who writes the rate deal, and does it lower your bill or raise it? On the grid or off it changes everything. What should Alaska require first? ## What we verified - Alaska's DNR moved to transfer about 30 square miles of state land north of Houston in the Mat-Su to AIDEA for a multi-use industrial and energy development district that includes data centers. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-17. - AIDEA Executive Director Randy Ruaro said there are no pre-determined and set land use decisions made by AIDEA. [Alaska Beacon](https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/07/16/alaskas-economic-development-agency-plans-a-mat-su-industrial-park-with-data-centers/), report, 2026-07-16. - The DNR preliminary decision on the Mat-Su transfer runs 41 pages. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-17. - Public comment on the Mat-Su land transfer is open through 5 p.m. on August 19, 2026, on the Alaska DNR website. [Alaska Beacon](https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/07/16/alaskas-economic-development-agency-plans-a-mat-su-industrial-park-with-data-centers/), report, 2026-07-16. - A Houston City Council member named Johansen introduced an ordinance in June to ban data centers within city limits, and the council voted to postpone the measure to its August 13 meeting. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-17. - Alaska currently has 8 data centers compared with Virginia's nation-leading 639. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/17/new-state-proposal-could-bring-data-centers-mat-su-part-industrial-park/), report, 2026-07-17. - STAK Energy's proposed North Slope AI and cloud campus sits about 25 miles south of Deadhorse just off the Dalton Highway and would self-generate a gigawatt or more of power, roughly 30 percent more than the peak demand of urban Alaska's entire grid. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - STAK Energy is seeking a 50-year lease of approximately 715.4 acres of state land for the campus. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The STAK campus would consume roughly 350 to 500 million standard cubic feet of North Slope gas per day. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The STAK public comment window closed July 17, 2026, having drawn more than 500 comments with fewer than a dozen in support, and STAK's John Boyle said some comments were form letters lacking substance. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Because the STAK North Slope project is off-grid and self-generating hundreds of miles from urban Alaska, reporting states its fuel sales would have no direct impact on city dwellers' electricity prices. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - In an April 2026 ADN opinion piece, Launch Alaska's Penny Gage wrote that Chugach-area electric sales have declined about 1 percent a year for roughly 15 years, dropped another 2.3 percent in 2025, and that every 1 percent reduction leaves about 2.5 million dollars in fixed costs with nowhere to go, arguing a large new anchor load could spread those costs and lower rates. [Anchorage Daily News (opinion)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/04/29/opinion-the-hidden-threat-to-your-electric-bill-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/), report, 2026-04-29. - The Railbelt already faces a shortage of locally produced gas, which is why adding large new load raises a gas-supply concern rather than a wires concern. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/03/04/data-centers-powering-the-ai-boom-demand-local-energy-anchorage-assembly-members-want-to-regulate-them/), report, 2026-03-04. - A state bill by Rep. Donna Mears introduced in January 2026, HB 259, would set utility rate-setting guidelines and community-benefit standards for large data centers, but it was referred to the House Energy Committee and has not advanced. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/03/04/data-centers-powering-the-ai-boom-demand-local-energy-anchorage-assembly-members-want-to-regulate-them/), report, 2026-03-04. - In March 2026 the Anchorage Assembly adopted ordinance AO 2026-27 in a 10 to 2 vote, confining data centers to commercial and industrial zones, requiring landscaping buffers and enclosed power equipment, and requiring written statements from electric and water utilities that the grid has sufficient system capacity. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/03/27/anchorage-assembly-preemptively-adopts-data-center-regulations/), report, 2026-03-27. - On July 16, 2026, Governor Dunleavy called a third Alaska LNG special session, to convene July 27, after the House deadlocked 19 to 19 and the Senate passed a gas-tax bill 11 to 8 that included a 9.4 percent pass-through tax he rejected. [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. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # No Road Out. Quinhagak Flies Its Own Eyes > Quinhagak has no road out, so the roadless Yup'ik village learned to fly its own drones. Published 2026-07-17 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-17/ ## The story No road out. So Quinhagak learned to fly its own drones. In a roadless stretch of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a lost boat or an overdue traveler is a life-and-death search. Quinhagak's drone team answers those calls from the air, week after week. The sky is the only road. No roads reach Quinhagak or its neighbors on the Kuskokwim coast. Rivers and airspace are the only ways through. A local pilot, instructor Sean Gleason says, knows the traffic patterns better than anyone from outside. They are training their own. On June 9, a dozen trainees from across rural Alaska came to Quinhagak to learn to fly. The local course runs 14 weeks toward an FAA Part 107 license on an Alaska DOT grant, one seat each for Quinhagak, Eek, Goodnews, and Platinum. It began at the dig. The drones first came to map Nunalleq, an ancestral Yup'ik village eroding into the Bering Sea. The pilots stayed, and turned the same eyes on the living delta. Nalaquq built its own eyes. Nalaquq, the village-owned company, wrote its own machine vision. A neural network spots a small aluminum boat on a search grid. A polarized-lens rig counts salmon in the river. The name means it has been found. Most of the eyes are human. Be exact about the machine. A neural network finds boats. A lens rig counts salmon. But people fly every drone, and the thermal reindeer counts and the archaeology are human eyes reading pictures, not algorithms. Own the eye, don't rent it. Elsewhere the sensor, the model, and the data belong to outside companies. In Quinhagak the pilots, the drones, and the machine vision belong to the village that flies over its own land, water, and people. ## What we verified - KYUK published its feature on the Quinhagak drone-training program on July 14, 2026, reported by Samantha Watson. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - Byron Petluska said the program gets weekly search-and-rescue calls, sometimes three times a week, sometimes daily. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - Instructor Sean Gleason said local pilots know their traffic patterns better than any outside operator. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - Angelina Olrun, 19, of Mekoryuk, was a trainee interested in reindeer herding. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - The drone program grew out of archaeologists using drones to survey the Nunalleq dig site near Quinhagak. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - Nalaquq's team built a custom Convolutional Neural Network using deep learning to detect small aluminum-hulled vessels for search and rescue via consumer-grade drones. [academic.oup.com](https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/28/5/zmad030/7248802), report. - The team used a consumer-grade drone with a polarized lens filter to track and count migrating salmon. [academic.oup.com](https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/28/5/zmad030/7248802), report. - Nalaquq's services include remote sensing with specialized aircraft and sensors for 2D and 3D mapping of infrastructure and subsistence areas. [nalaquq.com](https://nalaquq.com/about-us/), report. - Nalaquq lists 'Automated Salmon Counts' and 'Detect Ancestral Archeological Sites' among its past drone projects. [nalaquq.com](https://nalaquq.com/search-rescue-training/), report. - A drone-training session was held June 9, 2026 in Quinhagak, Alaska. [alaskapublic.org](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-news-nightly/2026-07-14/alaska-news-nightly-tuesday-july-14-2026), report. - About a dozen trainees from rural Alaska attended the session. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - The story aired on Alaska News Nightly on July 14, 2026, reported by Samantha Watson from Bethel. [alaskapublic.org](https://alaskapublic.org/programs/alaska-news-nightly/2026-07-14/alaska-news-nightly-tuesday-july-14-2026), report. - Nalaquq is an Alaska Native-owned subsidiary of Qanirtuuq, Inc., the village corporation for Quinhagak. [nalaquq.com](https://nalaquq.com/about-us/), report. - The program's course is a 14-week commitment that prepares participants for FAA Part 107 drone certification. [nalaquq.com](https://nalaquq.com/search-rescue-training/), report. - Applicants must be from Quinhagak, Eek, Goodnews, or Platinum, and a committee selects one individual from each community. [nalaquq.com](https://nalaquq.com/search-rescue-training/), report. - The training is funded by an Alaska Department of Transportation grant. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. - Applications of the drones include thermal imaging for reindeer counting, salmon/fish counting on the Kanektok River, and search and rescue. [kyuk.org](https://www.kyuk.org/science-and-environment/2026-07-14/quinhagak-locals-bridge-drones-and-traditional-knowledge-now-theyre-teaching-others-how-to-do-it), report. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Alaska's Critical Mineral Engine, and Its Unbuilt AI > Alaska just won a decade-scale federal bet to find its critical minerals. The AI headlining it is one unbuilt sentence. Published 2026-07-15 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-15/ ## The story IT ISN'T BUILT YET THE NSF JUST FUNDED AN AI TO FIND ALASKA'S CRITICAL MINERALS Alaska just won one of 12 new federal Innovation Engines. NSF named a University of Alaska Fairbanks coalition its Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine. It opens with 15 million dollars for the first two years. Far more can follow, only if it delivers. 56 of the 60 minerals the U.S. calls essential are in this ground. That is the U.S. Geological Survey count, essential to the nation's economy and its security. Alaska is not short on critical minerals. It is short on knowing exactly where, in a place this big. Read the ground. Find the deposits. Pull the minerals out. The Engine pairs advanced mining, processing and purification with two newer ideas, artificial intelligence to help locate mineral deposits, and new biological methods to extract them. This is what a prospectivity model would draw, if one existed. It is announced and funded in principle. It is not yet specified. That is not a scandal. It is the stage this is at. It is a ladder, not a check. Seven minerals the announcement names. One site is named so far. The rest is still a search. The only location named so far is Alaska Silver's exploration site in western Alaska. NANA Regional Corporation is a partner, not an owner. UAF leads it, with geoscientist Lee Ann Munk as chief executive. The goal, cut U.S. dependence on China for mineral processing. ## What we verified - More than 500 public comments opposed the Stak Energy North Slope data-center lease and fewer than a dozen endorsed it, with the comment window extended to July 17, 2026. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2026/07/07/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-07. - Sen. Sullivan secured 56 provisions and a historic $2.6 billion for Alaska in the FY2027 NDAA (advanced 18-9 from committee), including a mandate for grid-impact assessments before executing or renewing an Enhanced Use Lease. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report, 2026-06-23. - On July 14, 2026, NSF announced 12 new Regional Innovation Engines spanning 20 states. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Lee Ann Munk, a UAF geosciences professor, is the Engine's chief executive officer, and Christi Bell is its strategy and innovation officer. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - NSF's initial $135 million across its nine inaugural Engines has garnered more than $2 billion in matching commitments. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - NANA's Lance Miller endorsed the Engine, tying it to innovation, workforce development and responsible resource development. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Gov. Dunleavy framed the award as unlocking Alaska's resource potential and reducing America's dependence on China for mineral processing; Robert McCoy is Geophysical Institute Director and Michelle Rizk is Interim University of Alaska President. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Neither primary source names any specific AI algorithm, model, dataset, software, or deployment site; the AI is described only in general terms. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The UAF page names lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, germanium, gallium and rare earth elements as example critical minerals, used in batteries, smartphones, computer chips, medical equipment, power grids, aircraft and defense technologies. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The Engine program runs up to ten years, with continued NSF funding contingent on meeting well-defined milestones. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - One of the new Engines is the NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine in Alaska, led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Each new Engine initially receives $15 million over its first two years. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - Each Engine can eventually receive up to $160 million from NSF over ten years, contingent on meeting milestones. [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research), report, 2026-07-14. - The Alaska Engine will use artificial intelligence to help locate mineral deposits. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Partners in the Engine include NANA Regional Corporation and Alaska Silver. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - The Engine's approach combines advanced technologies for mining, processing and purification with AI to locate deposits and new biological methods to extract minerals. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Alaska contains 56 of the 60 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey considers essential to the nation's economy and national security. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. - Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the Alaska Legislature provided $500,000 in one-time funding. [UAF Geophysical Institute](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/national-science-foundation-funds-uaf-led-critical-minerals-coalition), report, 2026-07-14. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # The Anchorage Address > An Alaska Native-owned firm just won a $24.96M Navy contract for autonomous stealth boats. They will be built in Oregon. Published 2026-07-14 by Alaska AI. 8 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-14/ ## The story The boat is Alaskan. The shipyard is not. An Anchorage, Native-owned firm won a $24.96M Navy contract for autonomous stealth vessels. They will be built in Oregon. The Navy did not shop around. AMOUNT $24,960,408 · FOR autonomous low-profile vessels · TO ReconCraft LLC, Anchorage, Alaska · BUILT IN Clackamas, Oregon · DONE BY November 2028 · BOUGHT sole source, no competition · PAID FROM FY2026 innovative technologies (Navy) Built to show almost nothing. FREEBOARD under 0.61 m · LENGTH about 19.75 m (65 ft) · PAYLOAD 2,000 to 4,627 kg · RANGE about 2,200 nautical miles. The hull is borrowed from narco-submarines, tuned to beat radar, sonar, sight and heat. No crew. Not yet a mind. What the Navy wants next, run itself in crowded ports, with GPS jammed and comms down. What it does today, no one aboard, driven by remote control and pre-set waypoints. Autonomous is the plan, not yet the whole reality. A set-aside did the winning. The Navy bought this sole source under the SBA 8(a) program, the federal channel that routes contracts to Native-owned and disadvantaged small firms. Native-owned, tribally owned, 8(a) certified through Dec 2, 2026. The program is doing what it was built to do. Owned up here. Welded down there. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, incorporated here, Native-owned, the address on the contract. CLACKAMAS, OREGON, the shipyard, where the steel is actually cut, hulls up to 120 ft. Two states, one boat, one flag on the contract. Alaska's seat in the robot-boat boom is an ownership stake, not a shipyard. That is a real Alaska Native business win. It is also most of what Alaska's slice looks like right now. An Alaska industry, or just an Alaska address? If a Native-owned firm wins the contract but the boats are built Outside, does the win count as Alaska's? Tell me where you land. Sources in the comments. ## What we verified - Naval Sea Systems Command awarded ReconCraft LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, a $24,960,408 firm-fixed-price contract for autonomous low-profile vessels. [U.S. Department of War (DoD) daily contracts](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report, 2026-07-08. - Current ALPVs operate with no onboard personnel using remote control and waypoint navigation, with provisions for enhanced autonomous capability in the future; the Defense Innovation Unit wants them to navigate autonomously in congested waters and when communications and GPS are denied. [Army Recognition](https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/us-marines-train-in-japan-with-alpv-autonomous-low-profile-vessel-based-on-narco-submarine-designs-for-stealth-operations), report, 2025-04-24. - ReconCraft has a track record of Navy special-operations and patrol craft, including a 2023 contract worth about $35.9 million for a dozen 40-foot patrol boats and a role in a combined $290 million patrol-boat award alongside Louisiana-based Metal Shark for the Navy's Naval Expeditionary Combat Command. [Shephard Media](https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/us-navy-contracts-alaskan-reconcraft-for-new-patrol-boats/), report, 2023-04-25. - Trade and general reporting placed the award one day after Iran fired missiles at a third commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, framing the timing against renewed maritime-security pressure (context only, not central to the Alaska story). [Tech Times](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/320018/20260709/navy-awards-25m-stealthy-autonomous-boats-days-after-iran-breaks-hormuz-truce.htm), report, 2026-07-09. - The award was announced in the Department's July 8, 2026 contracts list; the contract number is N00024-26-C-6324. [U.S. Department of War](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report, 2026-07-08. - Work will be performed in Clackamas, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by November 2028. [U.S. Department of War](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report, 2026-07-08. - The contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 19.805-1(b)(2), the sole-source authority under the SBA 8(a) Business Development program. [U.S. Department of War](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report, 2026-07-08. - The award is funded from the Navy's fiscal 2026 account for accelerated procurement and fielding of innovative technologies; the full $24,960,408 was obligated at award and expires at the end of the current fiscal year. [U.S. Department of War](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report, 2026-07-08. - ReconCraft LLC is incorporated in Alaska and headquartered in Anchorage, and holds SBA 8(a) certification and Native American / tribally-owned small-business status. [HigherGov (SAM.gov-sourced awardee profile)](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/reconcraft-llc-10114995/), report, 2026-07. - ReconCraft's manufacturing facility is in Clackamas, Oregon; the company's own website lists its address as 9891 SE Mather Rd., Clackamas, OR 97015 and says it builds vessels up to 120 feet, 'Proudly Manufactured in the USA.'. [ReconCraft LLC (company site)](https://reconcraft.com/), report, 2026-07. - An autonomous low-profile vessel (ALPV) is an uncrewed, semi-submersible craft whose configuration was influenced by narco-submarines; it rides low with most of the structure submerged to minimize radar, sonar, visual and infrared detection. [Army Recognition](https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/us-marines-train-in-japan-with-alpv-autonomous-low-profile-vessel-based-on-narco-submarine-designs-for-stealth-operations), report, 2025-04-24. - ALPV class figures (a documented program design), about 19.75 meters (roughly 65 feet) long, less than 0.61 meters of freeboard at operating displacement, payload roughly 2,000 to 4,627 kilograms, and an operational range near 2,200 nautical miles at about 8 knots. [Army Recognition](https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/us-marines-train-in-japan-with-alpv-autonomous-low-profile-vessel-based-on-narco-submarine-designs-for-stealth-operations), report, 2025-04-24. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # The Interior's Power Math > Golden Valley Electric's board weighs $120 million in new gas capacity today, and its members carry the debt. Published 2026-07-13 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-13/ ## The story $120 million. One vote today. Members own the bill. a co-op decides behind a closed door A turbine, and a $120 million question On July 13, in a closed executive session, Golden Valley Electric Association's board weighs buying a second LM6000 gas turbine for its North Pole plant. The price is about $120 million. In April the board spent $50,000 just to hold a place in the order line. The News-Miner reports demand for these turbines has surged because large data centers need a guaranteed power supply. One machine. Steel and megawatts. An LM6000 makes 45 to 58 megawatts on its own, or 76 to 152 paired with steam or storage. The plant's first LM6000, from 2006, still runs at 47 megawatts. Ordering another can take three to five years. Members just absorbed the biggest fuel hike on record. On June 1 the fuel charge jumped 61 percent, the largest increase GVEA has ever posted. The fuel its plants burn more than doubled since February. The loads are still on paper. The Air Force is offering about 4,700 acres, 12 parcels across three bases, to companies that would build AI data centers. Two of them, Eielson and Clear, are in the Interior. None is built, no lease is signed. A pending defense bill would require a grid study, if it becomes law. Firm power, soft load. The bill is certain. The load is a maybe. Members are being asked to finance firm, dated capacity now, while the loads that justify it stay on paper. And the vote happens in executive session, a room members reach only through board elections. Should a co-op spend $120 million on firm power while the loads that need it are still proposals? Or wait until someone signs for the load? ## What we verified - GVEA's board is set to weigh buying a second LM6000 turbine in an executive session on July 13. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - The North Pole plant installed a 47-megawatt naphtha-fired LM6000 in 2006 along with a 17-megawatt steam turbine. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - The LM6000 is made by General Electric. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - The Department of the Air Force is offering approximately 4,700 acres of underutilized land for potential AI data centers. [U.S. Air Force (af.mil)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - Twelve parcels have been identified for potential data-center development across JBER, Eielson AFB and Clear Space Force Station. [U.S. Air Force (af.mil)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - The parcels would be offered under the Enhanced Use Lease model, which leases non-excess property to partners for long-term use. [U.S. Air Force (af.mil)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - The FY2027 NDAA provisions would require rigorous grid impact assessments before executing or renewing any Enhanced Use Lease for a data center. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report, 2026-06. - The FY2027 NDAA would direct a strategy and roadmap to mitigate local community impacts during construction of private data centers on military installations. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report, 2026-06. - According to Sullivan's office, the FY2027 defense bill authorizes about $2.6 billion for Alaska. [Office of Sen. Dan Sullivan](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report, 2026-06. - The Fairbanks North Star Borough is designated a 'Serious' PM2.5 nonattainment area under the 2006 standard. [U.S. EPA Green Book](https://www3.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/anayo_ak.html), report. - GVEA's fuel and purchased power charge rose 7.8 cents per kilowatt hour to 20.7 cents per kilowatt hour effective June 1, 2026, an increase of 61 percent over the prior quarter. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/01/gvea-announces-rate-increase-starting-june-1-members-see-higher-bills/), report, 2026-06-01. - A new LM6000 unit would cost about $120 million. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - The average GVEA member's monthly bill rose about $45.74 under the June 1, 2026 fuel-charge change. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/01/gvea-announces-rate-increase-starting-june-1-members-see-higher-bills/), report, 2026-06-01. - The fuel GVEA buys for its power plants rose from about $2.50 a gallon in late February to $5.10 a gallon, more than double. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - GVEA has been running its diesel units harder because it is not getting energy from Southcentral, per CEO Travis Million. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - GVEA has seen higher electricity load across residential and industrial members than historically, per CEO Travis Million. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - GVEA's June 1, 2026 fuel-charge increase was the largest in the co-op's history. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/01/gvea-announces-rate-increase-starting-june-1-members-see-higher-bills/), report, 2026-06-01. - News-Miner reports demand for the units has increased due to a surge in large data centers that require a guaranteed power supply. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - In April 2026 the board approved $50,000 to reserve an order spot for the generator. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - The board approved a $25.6 million overhaul of its 1970s-era GT1 diesel generators. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - An LM6000 can generate between 45 and 58 megawatts of power on its own. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - Paired with a steam turbine or battery storage the unit could produce between 76 and 152 megawatts. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - Ordering and installing a new LM6000 could take at least three to five years. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. - GVEA's president is Travis Million. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-07. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # First Machine to the Fire > Five teams are racing across 1,000 square kilometers of Alaska to prove a machine can fight a wildfire with no human in the loop. Published 2026-07-12 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-12/ ## What we verified - XPRIZE Wildfire is a four-year, $11 million global competition to accelerate solutions that end destructive wildfires. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - The finalist teams were narrowed from an original field of nearly 300 teams worldwide. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. - XPRIZE Wildfire program director Andrea Santy said wildfires are becoming more frequent, intense, unpredictable and destructive. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - Dryad Networks says its Silvanet sensors and Silvaguard drone detected a small wildfire within minutes of ignition and autonomously suppressed it with no human on scene during Alaska field trials. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. - Dryad says its Silvaguard drone can deliver up to 100 liters of fire suppressant directly onto an ignition point. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. - Dryad says more than 30,000 Silvanet sensors have been manufactured and deployed globally and that Silvanet has been deployed by more than 50 customers worldwide. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. - Dryad CEO Carsten Brinkschulte said the competition validated that ultra-early detection combined with rapid autonomous suppression can fundamentally change how society fights wildfires. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. - Alaska has experienced three of its four largest fire seasons in the last 25 years. [news.asu.edu](https://news.asu.edu/20251028-science-and-technology-using-ai-help-predict-wildfires-alaska), report. - In some years, such as 2022, Alaska accounted for nearly half of the total US acreage burned by wildfires. [news.asu.edu](https://news.asu.edu/20251028-science-and-technology-using-ai-help-predict-wildfires-alaska), report. - ReconCraft LLC of Anchorage, Alaska was awarded a $24,960,408 firm-fixed-price contract for autonomous low-profile vessels. [war.gov](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report. - The ReconCraft contract number is N00024-26-C-6324, a Naval Sea Systems Command award. [war.gov](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report. - The Autonomous Wildfire Response track has five finalist teams, Anduril (USA), Data Blanket (USA), Dryad (Germany), FireSwarm Solutions (Canada), and Wildfire Quest (USA). [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - Work on the ReconCraft contract is performed in Clackamas, Oregon and is expected to be completed by November 2028. [war.gov](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report. - The ReconCraft contract was not competitively procured, per FAR 19.805-1(b)(2). [war.gov](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report. - The full $24,960,408 was obligated at award from FY2026 accelerated procurement and fielding of innovative technologies (Navy) funds. [war.gov](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4538357/contracts-for-july-8-2026/), report. - According to Sen. Sullivan's office, the FY2027 NDAA authorizes a historic $2.6 billion in military construction and projects specifically for Alaska. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The FY2027 NDAA includes 56 provisions and amendments authored by Sen. Sullivan. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The bill authorizes $15 million for resilient autonomous sensing in the Arctic. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The bill authorizes $10 million for autonomy within the Golden Dome missile defense system. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The bill mandates rigorous grid impact assessments before executing or renewing any Enhanced Use Lease (EUL), reviewing energy demands and commercial grid stability. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The bill would establish an Analytics and Simulation Laboratory within the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. [sullivan.senate.gov](https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-56-provisions-historic-26-billion-for-alaska-in-fy-2027-defense-authorization), report. - The Autonomous track finals field-test across a 1,000 square kilometer test zone in Alaska. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - The Alaska testing partner is the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - ACUASI is one of the FAA-designated UAS test sites. [faa.gov](https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/test_sites), report. - The winning team in each XPRIZE Wildfire track receives $3.5 million. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - A $1 million bonus prize sponsored by Lockheed Martin is available to eligible Autonomous teams demonstrating superior detection. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - A $750,000 semifinal purse was distributed equally among the five Autonomous finalist teams. [xprize.org](https://www.xprize.org/news/meet-the-future-of-autonomous-wildfire-response-xprize-wildfire-announces-finalist-teams-advancing-in-11m-competition), report. - The XPRIZE Wildfire winner is expected to be announced in September 2026. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707802818/en/Dryad-Networks-Reaches-XPRIZE-Wildfire-Finals-Milestone-Demonstrating-Autonomous-Detection-and-Suppression-of-Wildfires-in-Alaska), report. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Cook Inlet gas storage, the RCA's no, and AI's gigawatt > On July 10, state regulators rejected Alaska's plan to store a single winter of Cook Inlet gas. Published 2026-07-11 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-11/ ## The story Alaska's gas machine, in cutaway. And the valve that just shut. Five parts move gas from rock to furnace Reservoir trap, wellhead, pipeline, storage cavern, and the state regulator's valve. Part four is a battery for deep winter. Right now, it sits empty. Enough for an average day. Not for January. Cook Inlet's aging fields can meet a normal day, but not a deep-cold peak, and there is little storage to bridge the gap. A former state senator's op-ed warns of a Southcentral shortfall by 2027. Turn a dead reservoir into a winter battery Enstar proposed buying the depleted Kenai Loop Pool from AIX Energy and refilling it to hold 25 billion cubic feet, close to half a year's gas, for about $240 million and up to $12 a month on the average bill. Every fix runs through one valve The Regulatory Commission of Alaska decides whether a utility's plan is prudent before customers ever pay for it. The regulator shut the valve On July 10 the RCA denied the plan, calling it an "extraordinary request" that "lacked basic information about the project." The order ran 17 pages. Enstar's president said the company suspended the project. Can it hold? Now measure what wants to plug in One proposed North Slope AI campus, from STAK Energy, would generate "a gigawatt or more, some 30% more than urban Alaska's peak demand." More than $10 billion at full buildout. Its comment window closes July 17. Store one winter first? ## What we verified - The Regulatory Commission of Alaska rejected Enstar's request for an advance determination that its gas-storage project plans were prudent, citing missing information (an 'extraordinary request' that 'lacked basic information about the project'). [Anchorage Daily News (Alex DeMarban)](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - Statewide, Alaska residential electricity rates run roughly 40% higher than the national average (former state senator's op-ed). [Anchorage Daily News (op-ed, Lesil McGuire)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/06/opinion-alaska-needs-energy-that-works-now-and-lasts/), report, 2026-07-06. - In many rural Alaska communities, energy costs are more than twice those in more urban parts of Alaska (op-ed). [Anchorage Daily News (op-ed, Lesil McGuire)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/06/opinion-alaska-needs-energy-that-works-now-and-lasts/), report, 2026-07-06. - Southcentral Alaska faces a projected Cook Inlet natural gas shortfall by 2027 (op-ed). [Anchorage Daily News (op-ed, Lesil McGuire)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/06/opinion-alaska-needs-energy-that-works-now-and-lasts/), report, 2026-07-06. - STAK Energy's proposed North Slope AI data-center campus generators could produce a gigawatt or more of power, some 30% more than urban Alaska's peak demand. [Northern Journal (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - STAK Energy's North Slope project would cost more than $10 billion at full buildout (an earlier $500 million reference appears in the same article). [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - More than 500 public comments were received on the STAK North Slope lease before the preliminary deadline; fewer than a dozen endorsed the project. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The STAK ADL 422741 public comment window was extended to 4:30 p.m. July 17, 2026, citing comment volume and public interest. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The RCA order denying the plan was 17 pages long. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - Enstar's proposed Cook Inlet gas storage facility would cost $240 million. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - The project would add up to $12 a month to the average customer's bill. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - Enstar proposed buying the Kenai Loop Pool, a depleted gas reservoir, from AIX Energy for use as storage. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - The facility would initially hold 25 billion cubic feet of gas, close to half the utility's annual demand. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - The Alaska DNR has not yet completed its determination that the Kenai Loop Pool is technically capable of serving as a natural gas storage facility. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - Enstar and Hilcorp Cook Inlet have competing applications with the Alaska DNR for gas storage facility leases at the Kenai Loop Pool. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. - Without the commission's approval, Enstar president John Sims said the company has suspended its plans to move ahead with the project. [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/07/10/state-regulators-reject-enstar-gas-storage-plan-raising-questions-about-solution-to-cook-inlet-shortage/), report, 2026-07-10. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # The Machine That Hears a Mountain Think > Three Alaska volcanoes are on elevated alert at once, and an AI built in Fairbanks is what stands watch over them. Published 2026-07-10 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-10/ ## What we verified - As of the July 3, 2026 AVO weekly update, Great Sitkin volcano was at Volcano Alert Level WATCH and Aviation Color Code ORANGE, with a slow lava eruption continuing in the summit crater. [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - VOISS-Net achieves 87% classification accuracy on the test set. [jvolcanica.org](https://www.jvolcanica.org/ojs/index.php/volcanica/article/view/349), primary document, 2025-06-12. - Alaska contains over 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields that have been active within the last two million years. [usgs.gov](https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/avo), primary document. - About 90 Alaska volcanoes have been active in the last 10,000 years, and more than 50 have been active in historical time (since about 1760). [usgs.gov](https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/avo), primary document. - Alaska's volcanoes sit under Pacific great-circle aircraft routes traversed by more than 50,000 people per day, and can erupt ash into that airspace. [usgs.gov](https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/avo), primary document. - As of July 3, 2026, Mount Kupreanof was at Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW, with seismic activity and volcanic gas emissions observed. [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - USGS defines Volcano Alert Level WATCH as heightened/escalating unrest with increased eruption potential, or an eruption underway that poses limited hazards. [usgs.gov](https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes), primary document. - USGS defines Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY as elevated unrest above known background level, closely monitored. [usgs.gov](https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes), primary document. - Great Sitkin volcano summit elevation is 5,708 feet (1,740 m). [avo.alaska.edu](https://avo.alaska.edu/volcano/great-sitkin), primary document. - Mount Kupreanof summit elevation is 6,217 feet (1,895 m). [avo.alaska.edu](https://avo.alaska.edu/volcano/kupreanof), primary document. - Mount Edgecumbe summit elevation is 3,202 feet (976 m). [avo.alaska.edu](https://avo.alaska.edu/volcano/edgecumbe), primary document. - As of July 3, 2026, Shishaldin volcano was at Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW, with continuing unrest. [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - Mount Kupreanof has no real-time geophysical monitoring network and is watched primarily via satellite and regional networks. [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - The July 3, 2026 AVO weekly update reported three Alaska volcanoes in elevated status simultaneously, Great Sitkin (Watch/Orange), Kupreanof (Advisory/Yellow), and Shishaldin (Advisory/Yellow). [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - AVO monitors these volcanoes with a multi-sensor network including local seismic, geodetic and infrasound sensors, satellite data, web cameras, and regional infrasound and lightning networks. [volcanoes.usgs.gov](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-07-03T18:33:40+00:00), primary document, 2026-07-03. - VOISS-Net is a generalized deep-learning (spectrogram-based CNN) model built to detect and classify volcano seismicity such as tremor, explosions, earthquakes and long-period events. [jvolcanica.org](https://www.jvolcanica.org/ojs/index.php/volcanica/article/view/349), primary document, 2025-06-12. - VOISS-Net was trained on more than 270,000 spectrograms. [jvolcanica.org](https://www.jvolcanica.org/ojs/index.php/volcanica/article/view/349), primary document, 2025-06-12. - VOISS-Net was developed using data from seven volcanoes across three regions, five Alaskan volcanoes, Mt. Etna in Italy, and Kilauea in Hawaii. [jvolcanica.org](https://www.jvolcanica.org/ojs/index.php/volcanica/article/view/349), primary document, 2025-06-12. - VOISS-Net was developed collaboratively by scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory / University of Alaska Fairbanks and the U.S. Geological Survey. [jvolcanica.org](https://www.jvolcanica.org/ojs/index.php/volcanica/article/view/349), report, 2025-06-12. - VolcSARvatory uses interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to detect ground movement as small as 1 centimeter. [gi.alaska.edu](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/alaska-developed-volcano-monitoring-system-will-expand-across-us), report, 2025-02-20. - The Alaska Volcano Observatory at UAF has used a prototype of VolcSARvatory since early 2022. [gi.alaska.edu](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/alaska-developed-volcano-monitoring-system-will-expand-across-us), report, 2025-02-20. - VolcSARvatory's usefulness became apparent during an earthquake swarm at long-quiet Mount Edgecumbe volcano near Sitka on April 11, 2022. [gi.alaska.edu](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/alaska-developed-volcano-monitoring-system-will-expand-across-us), report, 2025-02-20. - VolcSARvatory is being expanded to all USGS volcano observatories; the USGS Volcano Science Center operates AVO plus four other U.S. volcano observatories (five total). [gi.alaska.edu](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/alaska-developed-volcano-monitoring-system-will-expand-across-us), report, 2025-02-20. - The UAF VolcSARvatory expansion is one of seven NASA Disasters Program proposals that share $6.3 million over two years. [gi.alaska.edu](https://www.gi.alaska.edu/news/alaska-developed-volcano-monitoring-system-will-expand-across-us), report, 2025-02-20. - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Begich argued Alaska must not fall behind on AI policy. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/03/opinion-what-alaskas-governor-candidates-say-about-ai-and-why-it-matters/), report, 2026-07-03. - Gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins warned that the AI industry has understated public risk. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/03/opinion-what-alaskas-governor-candidates-say-about-ai-and-why-it-matters/), report, 2026-07-03. - Kreiss-Tomkins emphasized Alaskan data sovereignty, saying Alaskans' data belongs to Alaskans alone. [adn.com](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/07/03/opinion-what-alaskas-governor-candidates-say-about-ai-and-why-it-matters/), report, 2026-07-03. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # One River, Two Ways to Count It, AI vs the Tower > A hand-clicker on a Bristol Bay tower has counted the sockeye since 1955. This year an AI drone wants that job. Published 2026-07-09 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-09/ ## What we verified - An autonomous drone-in-a-box launches at 8:30 a.m. on an automated flight to an observation position above the right bank of the Wood River. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Project lead Norm Van Vactor says he has been engaged in the Bristol Bay commercial fishery for 40 years. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Ian Chiu develops the machine-learning components of the project remotely. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Van Vactor calls the moment an 'amazing convergence of technology,' citing drone-in-a-box, machine learning and AI, Starlink Mini, lithium batteries and solar panels all maturing in the last year or two. [KMXT (republish of KDLG)](https://www.kmxt.org/alaska-statewide-news/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - The 2026 Bristol Bay preseason forecast estimates a total run of 44.05 million sockeye. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-06/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-july-6-2026), report, 2026-07-06. - As of July 6, 2026, the total Bristol Bay sockeye run to date was 26,944,183 fish. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-06/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-july-6-2026), report, 2026-07-06. - As of the July 6, 2026 report, Wood River tower escapement to date totaled 2,112,834 fish. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-06/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-july-6-2026), report, 2026-07-06. - Wood River tower crews counted 57,258 sockeye on Sunday. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-06/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-july-6-2026), report, 2026-07-06. - The Wood River escapement goal range is 700,000 to 2.8 million fish, and the 2026 run is within that range. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-06/bristol-bay-fisheries-report-july-6-2026), report, 2026-07-06. - The story was written by Jessie Sheldon and republished statewide via KMXT on July 8, 2026 (originally KDLG, July 3, 2026). [KMXT](https://www.kmxt.org/alaska-statewide-news/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - The drone imagery is fed into a computer model intended to generate more accurate salmon escapement counts. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Machine-learning developer Ian Chiu describes the end product as a computer vision model trained to pick out salmon from video. [KMXT (republish of KDLG)](https://www.kmxt.org/alaska-statewide-news/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - The team will likely need several thousand drone images to train the model to reliably identify a fish; technicians hand-label the imagery. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Alaska Department of Fish and Game has used counting towers for Bristol Bay escapement since 1955 (70+ years). [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Tower crews rotate through continuous 24-hour shifts, counting each passing salmon with a hand-clicker in 10-minute intervals. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Most Bristol Bay escapement counts currently come from nine Fish & Game counting tower sites. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - Project partners include the University of Washington's Fisheries Research Institute (lab at Lake Aleknagik), the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. - At this stage, Alaska Department of Fish and Game is not directly involved in the drone project. [KDLG](https://www.kdlg.org/fisheries/2026-07-03/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-03. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page. --- # Alaska's AI Land Rush, Four Rooms, One Open Door > Alaska got more than 500 public comments on a $10 billion North Slope AI data center. Fewer than a dozen said yes. Published 2026-07-08 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-08/ ## What we verified - More than 500 public comments were submitted to Alaska DNR on the Stak Energy lease before the preliminary deadline. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Fewer than a dozen of the public comments endorsed the Stak project. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - DNR extended the ADL 422741 public comment deadline to 4:30 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on July 17, 2026 (extension notice ID 224224). [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The original comment deadline on the Stak preliminary decision was 4:30 p.m. on June 15, 2026 (original notice ID 223817, published May 12, 2026). [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - DNR said it extended the comment period because of significant public interest, comment volume, and requests for extension. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - DNR's Division of Oil and Gas issued a preliminary decision to offer STAK Energy Corporation a 50-year lease. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The proposed lease covers a 715.4-acre parcel of state land. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The parcel sits adjacent to the Dalton Highway approximately 26 miles south of Deadhorse. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), report, 2026-06-17. - The docket is ADL 422741 with applicant STAK Energy Corporation; notice 223817 (published May 12, 2026) is the original preliminary decision notice and notice 224224 (published June 17, 2026) is the extension notice. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notices)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), report, 2026-05-12. - Stak's John Boyle said the full project would cost more than $10 billion. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Stak estimated approximately $500 million for initial site evaluation, engineering, gravel road and pad construction, and initial camp and support infrastructure. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Stak proposes 1 to 3 gigawatts of on-site natural gas-fired generation. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Northern Journal reports that a gigawatt of generation is some 30% more than the peak demand of urban Alaska's entire grid. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Lease documents indicate full simple-cycle operation could consume roughly 350 to 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - That daily gas burn annualizes to approximately 128 to 183 billion cubic feet per year. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - The project would require roughly 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel fill. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Plans include a roughly 640-acre gravel pad. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - Plans include a 1.8-mile gravel access road. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/stak-energy-campus-what-the-states-lease-documents-reveal-about-scale-risk-and-unanswered-questions/), report, 2026-05-28. - John Boyle said most comments were form letters lacking substance. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - John Boyle is Stak's chief strategy officer and previously served as commissioner of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources from 2023 to 2025. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Opposition comments carried subject lines including 'HELL NO! To ANY DATA CENTERS' and 'NO AI'. [Copper River Country Journal (reprinting Herz)](https://www.countryjournal2020.com/2026/07/alaskans-say-no-hell-no-to-north-slope.html), report, 2026-07-06. - One commenter urged the state to 'incorporate some AI (Alaskan intelligence) into making this decision'. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - One commenter noted their message was written 'with my own brain and fingers typing'. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Comments arrived from Kodiak, Kotzebue, Seward, Valdez, and the North Slope village of Nuiqsut. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Formal opposition or concern also came from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, the Alaska Public Interest Research Group, and the Alaska chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - According to Stak, average annual temperatures at the proposed site are 12 F. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Stak expects the development to need 10% or less of the water that typical data centers use for cooling. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - After the deadline passes, DNR will assess the comments before making a final decision on the lease. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - Stak said in a statement that it 'is committed to being a responsible steward of the land entrusted to us'. [Northern Journal](https://www.northernjournal.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The Department of the Air Force is offering approximately 4,700 acres of underutilized land at JBER, Eielson AFB, and Clear Space Force Station for AI data centers. [U.S. Air Force (official release)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - Twelve parcels have been identified for potential development under the program. [U.S. Air Force (official release)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - The Air Force announced the Alaska AI data center Enhanced Use Lease opportunity on April 10, 2026. [U.S. Air Force (official release)](https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4456660/daf-takes-steps-for-potential-alaskan-ai-data-centers/), report, 2026-04-10. - The Air Force released its Request for Lease Proposal on June 5, 2026. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/09/us-military-plans-lease-alaska-land-ai-data-centers-community-responds/), report, 2026-06-08. - Developer lease proposals were due June 29, 2026. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/proposed-air-force-data-center-land-leases-raise-some-concerns/article_98cbed0c-6574-464a-8097-c054c46cb699.html), report, 2026-06-11. - The RFLP identifies five potential parcels in the Eielson AFB area. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/proposed-air-force-data-center-land-leases-raise-some-concerns/article_98cbed0c-6574-464a-8097-c054c46cb699.html), report, 2026-06-11. - Four parcels are under consideration around Clear Space Force Station, including one that would connect to the GVEA grid from the Parks Highway. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/proposed-air-force-data-center-land-leases-raise-some-concerns/article_98cbed0c-6574-464a-8097-c054c46cb699.html), report, 2026-06-11. - One Eielson-area parcel is less than a mile from North Pole Middle School. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/proposed-air-force-data-center-land-leases-raise-some-concerns/article_98cbed0c-6574-464a-8097-c054c46cb699.html), report, 2026-06-11. - Resident Sarah Hollister said living near data centers is described as like having a vacuum cleaner running around the clock. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/09/us-military-plans-lease-alaska-land-ai-data-centers-community-responds/), report, 2026-06-08. - Sarah Hollister raised concern about data center heat discharge affecting permafrost. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/09/us-military-plans-lease-alaska-land-ai-data-centers-community-responds/), report, 2026-06-08. - Hollister pointed out that three of the proposed sites would be expected to use the GVEA grid and asked whether that would affect members' bills. [Alaska's News Source](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/09/us-military-plans-lease-alaska-land-ai-data-centers-community-responds/), report, 2026-06-08. - JBER commander Col. Lisa Mabbutt said Alaska is expected to receive up to $8 billion in Air Force investments over the next five years. [ExecutiveGov](https://www.executivegov.com/articles/matthew-lohmeier-air-force-visit-alaska-jber-eielson), report, 2026-06-26. - Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier toured JBER and Eielson AFB June 22 through 24, 2026. [ExecutiveGov](https://www.executivegov.com/articles/matthew-lohmeier-air-force-visit-alaska-jber-eielson), report, 2026-06-26. - GVEA recommended that any major loads be connected to its 138-kilovolt line. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/proposed-air-force-data-center-land-leases-raise-some-concerns/article_98cbed0c-6574-464a-8097-c054c46cb699.html), report, 2026-06-11. - The Air Force plans to choose proposals that minimize and mitigate impact and risk to the surrounding community, with utilities remaining accessible and affordable. [Air & Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-land-ai-data-centers-three-alaska-bases/), report, 2026-04-11. - GVEA's board will weigh whether to invest in a fuel-based generator during an executive session on July 13, 2026. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - A new LM6000 unit would cost GVEA about $120 million. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - An LM6000 can generate between 45 and 58 megawatts depending on the model. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - Costs to construct a new gas turbine power plant jumped 195% from 2019 to 2026, per a Bloomberg News report cited by the News-Miner. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - Turbine order waitlists have pushed into the early 2030s, per a Bloomberg News report cited by the News-Miner. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - Demand for the turbine units has increased due to a surge in large data centers that require a guaranteed power supply, per a Bloomberg News report. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - At its April 2026 board meeting, GVEA approved $50,000 to reserve an order spot for an LM6000 combined-cycle turbine. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/gvea-board-to-weigh-heavy-purchase-decision-in-july-as-members-raise-concerns/article_c8b5ce9d-5c3a-46bf-b261-436ea4abe02b.html), report, 2026-06-28. - GVEA's fuel and purchased power charge rose by about 61 percent effective June 1, 2026. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - The increase costs the average residential member nearly $46 more per month. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - GVEA's power plant fuel prices roughly doubled from about $2.50 to $5.10 per gallon. [KUAC](https://fm.kuac.org/energy-and-the-environment/2026-05-28/gvea-plans-extraordinarily-large-increase-in-co-op-fuel-charge), report, 2026-05-28. - House-Senate conference committee members unveiled a draft compromise AKLNG tax bill on Thursday, July 2, 2026. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - The draft compromise would replace the state's property tax with a volumetric tax on gas after five years of operation or once flow reaches 500 million cubic feet per day, whichever comes first. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - The draft extends the construction completion deadline for the gas line and phase one from 2032 to December 31, 2034. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - Phase one of the project is an 807-mile gas line from the North Slope to Cook Inlet. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - Glenfarne owns 75% of the Alaska LNG project. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - Lawmakers are tentatively planning House and Senate floor votes on the compromise bill for Thursday, July 16, 2026. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - Lawmakers are in a second special session called by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, scheduled to end July 19, 2026. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - Dunleavy has called the corporate income tax provision a 'poison pill' and pledged to veto any bill that includes it. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - The governor and the developer have said the S corp tax in the draft will hurt the project's ability to secure financing. [Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/alaska-legislature/2026-07-06/alaska-lawmakers-roll-out-draft-compromise-tax-cut-bill-for-the-proposed-aklng-gas-line), report, 2026-07-06. - On the Wood River, an automated drone emerges from its box at exactly 8:30 a.m. and takes off on an automated flight path. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - The team expects to need several thousand drone images for the computer-vision model to learn to reliably identify a fish. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - Alaska Fish and Game has been tracking salmon escapement since 1955. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - Tower technicians count each passing salmon with a hand-clicker in 10-minute intervals. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - Tower crews rotate through continuous shifts over 24 hours. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - Most escapement counts across Bristol Bay currently come from nine Fish and Game counting tower sites. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - The pilot is run with the University of Washington's Fisheries Research Institute, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - Norm Van Vactor is a project lead on the drone counting pilot. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - In the project's next phase, the crew will test their models against Fish and Game tower counting data. [Alaska Public Media / KDLG](https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-07-08/ai-drones-and-salmon-what-new-technology-could-mean-for-bristol-bay-sockeye-counts), report, 2026-07-08. - BBRSDA's drone salmon-monitoring project received a $70,000 Seafood Industry Climate Award grant from the Acme Smoked Fish Foundation. [Acme Smoked Fish Foundation (funder)](https://acmesmokedfish.com/pages/seafood-and-climate-initiatives), report, 2026-01-26. - According to the funder, the drone project enables managers to detect salmon run timing up to 24 hours earlier. [Acme Smoked Fish Foundation (funder)](https://acmesmokedfish.com/pages/seafood-and-climate-initiatives), report, 2026-01-26. - The 2026 preseason forecast expects a Bristol Bay total run of 44.05 million sockeye. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-02/fish-numbers-july-2-2026), report, 2026-07-02. - The Bristol Bay run had reached 17,011,218 sockeye through July 1, 2026, as reported July 2. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-02/fish-numbers-july-2-2026), report, 2026-07-02. - Wood River tower crews counted 123,489 sockeye on Wednesday, July 1, bringing their cumulative count to 1,884,747 fish. [KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report](https://www.kdlg.org/show/bristol-bay-fisheries-report/2026-07-02/fish-numbers-july-2-2026), report, 2026-07-02. - Alaska's 2026 primary election is August 18, 2026. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Alaska_gubernatorial_election), report. - Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and ineligible to seek a third consecutive term. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Alaska_gubernatorial_election), report. - Alaska saw over 9,000 lightning strikes in a single day in late June 2026, amid a week of prolific lightning. [Alaska Wildland Fire Information (interagency)](https://akfireinfo.com/2026/06/26/air-resources-assist-with-several-new-lightning-fires-managed-by-u-s-wildland-fire-service/), report, 2026-06-26. - A U.S. Forest Service Uncrewed Aircraft System module from Boise, Idaho was assigned to fly reconnaissance, mapping, and infrared missions on the Polly Fire. [Alaska Wildland Fire Information (interagency)](https://akfireinfo.com/2026/06/26/air-resources-assist-with-several-new-lightning-fires-managed-by-u-s-wildland-fire-service/), report, 2026-06-26. - The Cecil Fire is approximately 724 acres and 100% contained, with 18 personnel assigned, as of July 6, 2026. [Alaska Wildland Fire Information (interagency)](https://akfireinfo.com/2026/07/06/cecil-fire-reaches-full-containment-big-fire-at-70-as-work-nears-end/), report, 2026-07-06. - A UAS drone flight on July 6, 2026 detected no remaining heat on the Cecil Fire. [Alaska Wildland Fire Information (interagency)](https://akfireinfo.com/2026/07/06/cecil-fire-reaches-full-containment-big-fire-at-70-as-work-nears-end/), report, 2026-07-06. - A permafrost digital twin under a Utqiagvik road embankment was built from a pair of one-kilometer fiber-optic cables that collected temperature and seismic data from September 2021 to June 2024. [Penn State University (news release)](https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/digital-twins-could-help-melt-mystery-alaskas-thawing-permafrost), report, 2026-06-16. - The digital twin approach more accurately predicted the embankment permafrost's unfrozen water content, ground temperature changes, and heat movement. [Penn State University (news release)](https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/digital-twins-could-help-melt-mystery-alaskas-thawing-permafrost), report, 2026-06-16. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.