Opinion: As Big Tech’s footprint gets bigger, it’s time for Anchorage to install data center guardrails

The Anchorage Assembly, with the sponsorship of Vice Chair Anna Brawley and Daniel Volland, recently passed an ordinance to establish proactive regulations for data center development in the city. The move is a response to the increasing footprint of Big Tech and the associated economic and environmental tradeoffs, including significant electricity and water consumption, potential natural gas shortages, and concerns about noise and air pollution from such facilities. Examples from Loudoun County, Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee, were cited regarding high resource usage and resident complaints. The new code update does not ban data centers but instead adds a definition, clarifies zoning to exclude residential areas, and mandates conditional use permitting for any proposed projects. It also requires specific safeguards such as 200-foot setbacks, visual screening, landscaping, fire suppression, noise mitigation studies, and documentation of power generation and storage. The ordinance aims to enable Anchorage to benefit from innovation while thoughtfully addressing potential disruptions to the community.