Alaska has no single statewide electric grid. Power comes from a patchwork of separate systems: one long interconnected corridor between Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula, hydro-based grids in the Southeast panhandle, and dozens of small village systems that stand alone. Our directory lists 167 power plant entries across these systems, from Juneau and Anchorage to Kaktovik on the Arctic coast.

That mix explains why finding the right office matters. A plant in Ketchikan answers to a city-owned utility. One in Pilot Station is run by a regional cooperative. A third, in downtown Fairbanks, is a privately owned coal-fired plant. Each has a different owner, a different way of setting rates, and a different number to call when the lights go out.

Who Oversees Power Plants in Alaska

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) is the state's main utility regulator. It works under Title 42 of the Alaska Statutes, which covers public utilities. The RCA issues certificates of public convenience and necessity, reviews rate filings, and takes consumer complaints about service. Some municipal utilities and cooperatives can be exempt from rate regulation under conditions set in statute. In those cases a city council or co-op board sets the rates instead of the RCA.

The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) has a different job. It is a public corporation of the state, linked to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. AEA owns large generation projects, including the Bradley Lake hydroelectric project on the Kenai Peninsula. It also runs the Power Cost Equalization program for rural communities and supports upgrades to village power systems.

Permits come from other offices. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation handles air-quality permits for larger generators and sets rules for fuel storage. Zoning and building approvals sit with the local city or borough. For a single plant, you may deal with three or four agencies, and each one answers different questions.

Three Kinds of Power Systems Across Alaska

Where you live decides which kind of plant serves you. Alaska's geography splits the state into three broad groups, and the listings in our database fall into each of them.

The Railbelt: Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Kenai

The Railbelt is the interconnected grid running from Fairbanks south through the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula. Several utilities share it, including Chugach Electric, Matanuska Electric Association, Homer Electric Association and Golden Valley Electric Association. Cook Inlet natural gas has long fueled the southern end. The Interior has leaned more on coal, oil and wind.

The listings show that spread. The Anchorage 1 plant sits at 821 East 1st Avenue in Anchorage Municipality County. In Fairbanks, the Aurora Energy Chena plant is at 1206 1st Avenue. Eva Creek Wind near Healy and the Delta Wind Farm along the Alaska Highway add wind to the Interior's mix. On the Kenai, Bernice Lake at 54741 Energy Way in Kenai, along with plants in Seward and Seldovia, appear in Kenai Peninsula County, which has more listings than any other county-level area in our data.

Southeast Alaska: Hydro and Island Grids

Most Southeast communities have no road link to each other or to the rest of the state. Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Skagway each run on their own grid. Most of their power comes from hydroelectric projects fed by heavy rain and snowmelt, with thermal plants held in reserve. In April 2008, an avalanche took out the transmission line carrying Snettisham hydro power to Juneau, and the city leaned on diesel generation until repairs were finished.

Our listings include an Industrial Plant at 2500 Barrett Avenue in Juneau, which has more entries than any other city; see Juneau City and Borough County. Ketchikan Public Utilities lists the Bailey Powerhouse at 3935 Tongass Avenue. Sitka's Jarvis Street plant, Skagway's Kasidaya Creek Hydro and the Centennial Power Plant on Walden Point Road in Metlakatla round out the region. Metlakatla sits on Annette Island, home to the only Indian reserve in Alaska, and the community runs its own utility.

Rural Villages and Island Systems

Many Alaska communities cannot connect to any grid. No road, pipeline or transmission line reaches them. Diesel generators are the common answer. Fuel arrives by barge in the ice-free season and sits in tank farms through winter. When barges cannot get in, fuel comes by air at a much higher price, and bills follow fuel costs.

The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC) runs plants in many western villages. The AVEC generating station in Pilot Station, in the Kusilvak Census Area, and the AVEC Kiana plant in Northwest Arctic County are typical examples. Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island sits in the Nome Census Area, and Kaktovik on the Arctic coast has a utility run by the North Slope Borough. Operators in these places are often local residents who know the equipment and the community.

Some island systems are moving away from diesel. In Kodiak, the listing at 891 Pillar Mountain Road is on the same ridge as the island's wind turbines. Kodiak Electric Association gets nearly all of its power from hydro and wind, and batteries help smooth the swings between them.

The Power Cost Equalization program softens the cost of rural power. In eligible communities, residential customers get a credit on up to 500 kilowatt-hours a month. The credit appears on the utility bill, so ask your local utility office if you are unsure whether your address is covered.

Finding and Contacting a Power Plant Office in Alaska

Most plants are secured industrial sites, not walk-in offices. Customer service usually happens at the utility's main office, which may be in a different building or even a different town. Use the address in a listing to locate the plant, but call the utility before you visit.

Alaska has boroughs rather than counties, and large parts of the state fall in the unorganized borough, which the Census Bureau divides into census areas. Our directory uses county-style labels, with (CA) marking a census area such as Nome. If your community is not where you expect, check the neighboring areas.

Plant names in our listings come from public records and may show a site name rather than the utility, such as Viking in Craig or Valdez on Egan Drive. Treat the address as a starting point and confirm the operator and hours before traveling. Winter storms, freeze-up and limited flights can delay both repairs and visits, so build in extra time for anything outside the Railbelt.

Power plant facilities in Alaska include a mix of federal, state, and municipally owned generation assets that contribute to the region's overall electricity supply. Alaska's energy mix and the number of publicly owned facilities reflect the state's natural resources, regulatory environment, and historical development of its utility infrastructure.

Power Plant locations are available in 93 cities across Alaska. They are spread across 26 counties.

Areas with the highest concentration of power plant locations include Juneau, Anchorage, Ketchikan, often reflecting proximity to water resources, fuel supply infrastructure, or industrial demand centers.

Residents of Alaska who are customers of a municipal or public power utility can contact their local power authority for billing assistance, energy efficiency programs, and information about planned outages or infrastructure upgrades in their service area.

Power Plant by Counties

A
B
D
F
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
S
V
W
Y

Residents of Alaska who receive electricity service from a publicly owned utility can visit or contact that utility's customer service office to learn about outage reporting, billing options, and energy assistance programs. For information about a specific power generation facility in Alaska, contacting the state's public utility commission is often the best starting point.

Browse Power Plant by county across Alaska to find the nearest location.

Power on Prince of Wales Island and the Gulf Coast

Two parts of Alaska show how much local conditions shape power service. Craig's Viking plant at 1800 Craig-Klawock Highway and the Centennial Power Plant in Metlakatla are both filed under Prince of Wales-Hyder County in our data. Craig sits on the island's road network, while Metlakatla is on Annette Island and is reached from Ketchikan by ferry or air. Neither can borrow power from a neighbor's grid.

Along the Gulf Coast, Cordova Electric's plant at 103 Orca Inlet Road serves a town with no road to the rest of Alaska. Valdez, at 527 Egan Drive, and Glennallen, at 187 Glenn Highway, sit inland and on the highway system. All three appear under Valdez-Cordova (CA) County. The Census Bureau split that area into the Chugach and Copper River census areas in 2019, but our directory keeps the older label.

When you read a listing, ask three questions. Who owns the plant? Is it part of a larger grid or a stand-alone system? Which office handles customers? Those answers tell you whom to call.

Alaska Power Plant Questions Answered

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska regulates many of the state's utilities under Title 42 of the Alaska Statutes. It issues certificates to operate, reviews rate changes and accepts consumer complaints. Not every utility falls under its rate authority. Some municipal utilities and cooperatives are exempt under conditions in the statute, which means a city council or cooperative board may set rates. The Alaska Energy Authority is a separate body. It owns large projects such as Bradley Lake and manages Power Cost Equalization rather than setting retail rates. If you are unsure who oversees your utility, check your bill, then contact the utility directly.

Power Cost Equalization is a state program that reduces electric bills in eligible rural communities where generation costs are high, mostly places outside the Railbelt grid. The Alaska Energy Authority administers it. Residential customers receive a credit on up to 500 kilowatt-hours a month, and the utility applies it to the bill, so you rarely file a separate application. Community facilities such as schools and water systems have their own allowance. Commercial customers generally do not qualify. Because eligibility depends on the community and the utility, ask your local utility office or the Alaska Energy Authority to confirm that your address is covered.

Most villages sit far from any grid, with no road, pipeline or transmission line to reach them. A small diesel plant is among the simplest systems to build and to maintain with local operators. Fuel arrives by barge in the ice-free season and is stored in tank farms, or it comes by air at a higher price. Wind and solar are added in some places, but diesel often stays as backup. The AVEC plants in Pilot Station, in Kusilvak County, and in Kiana follow this pattern. Check each community's listing for its operator.

Southeast Alaska grids are islands in the literal sense. These towns are not linked to the Railbelt, and most are not linked to each other. Each depends on nearby hydroelectric projects fed by rain and snowmelt, such as Snettisham for Juneau and Kasidaya Creek for Skagway. Thermal plants, which include the Bailey Powerhouse in Ketchikan and the Jarvis Street plant in Sitka, typically serve as backup during dry spells, line failures and peak demand. That is why a Southeast listing may be a small standby plant instead of the main source of the town's electricity.

Most plants cannot be toured casually. They are secure industrial sites with fuel storage, high voltage and moving machinery, and a small village plant may have a single operator on duty. Some utilities host visits or open houses for school groups, but policies vary. Call the utility's main office, explain who is coming and why, and ask about required safety gear. Do not walk up to a plant gate unannounced. In remote communities, the city office or tribal council often knows the operator and can help arrange a visit at a workable time.

Call your utility's outage line first, using the number printed on your bill. Plants themselves rarely take customer calls, and in a small village the operator may be reached through the city or cooperative office. After a winter storm, report downed lines and stay well away from them. Before digging, fencing or driving posts near buried cables or fuel lines, dial 811 to request a locate. If you depend on medical equipment and an outage could last a long time, tell your utility ahead of time so it can note your account.