Alaska energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Alaska

The current industrial power rate in Alaska is 24.87 cents per kWh (Apr 2026, EIA), ranking 50 of 51 states and sitting 187.2% above the national average.

Current prices in Alaska

  • Industrial electricity: 24.87 cents per kWh (Apr 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Alaska typically pays: 22.74 cents per kWh.
  • Industrial natural gas: 8.07 per Mcf (Apr 2026), 64.7% above the national average.
  • Just below Alaska on the price ladder: California at 19.87, Rhode Island at 20.75, District of Columbia at 22.39 cents. Just above: Hawaii at 38.29 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 9,948 in electricity at Alaska rates versus 3,464 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 49,740 versus 17,320, and at 200 kW it is 198,960 versus 69,280.
  • At this rate, efficiency projects clear their hurdle faster in Alaska than almost anywhere: every avoided kWh is worth more, so compressed air leak repairs, VFD retrofits, and scheduling around demand charges deserve a fresh look.

What factory labor pays in Alaska

  • Industrial engineers: $75.25/hr median in Alaska versus $49.25 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial production managers: $54.46/hr median in Alaska versus $60.61 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Welders, cutters, and brazers: $38.87/hr median in Alaska versus $25.84 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Quality inspectors and testers: $37.57/hr median in Alaska versus $23.35 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Production supervisors: $37.48/hr median in Alaska versus $35.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Machinists: $37.34/hr median in Alaska versus $28.24 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Alaska employs about 10,000 manufacturing workers as of May 2026 (BLS).

Sources and update cadence

  • Prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and refresh automatically when the agency publishes; this page also archives each month's Alaska observation so the local price history deepens over time.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.