STAK Energy focuses on leveraging resources
Q: How does this project align with broader discussions about max- imizing Alaska’s energy resources? A: Alaska has debated how to mon- etize North Slope gas for 50 years. Project Aaka offers something new to that conversation: rather than moving the gas to distant markets, we use it in state to generate power and anchor new industry. We see this as comple- mentary to other North Slope energy initiatives. The resource is enormous. There is plenty of gas for multiple projects, and every initiative that puts Alaska’s stranded resources to work strengthens the case for the others. Q: What lessons can Alaska learn from other regions that have suc- cessfully attracted major technology investments? A: The pattern is consistent world- wide: regions that develop their energy
Slope for fifty years. Our strong pref - erence is to work with Alaska-based contractors and suppliers wherever operationally feasible. Q: What advantages does Alaska offer compared to traditional data center locations in the Lower 48? A: Energy at the source rather than fighting for grid capacity. Land at scale on state-owned acreage. Natural cooling that reduces water consump- tion by 90% or more compared to in- dustry norms. No competition with households for power or water. An established industrial corridor with proven Arctic engineering. And a reg- ulatory environment with a well-de- fined, transparent permitting process. Every constraint that is killing projects in the Lower 48, includ- ing multi-year grid interconnection queues, community opposition, water scarcity, and rising ratepayer costs, is structurally absent here.
Energy is the foundation every econ- omy is built on, and adding new energy capacity at this scale creates conditions for follow-on investment and indus- tries that do not yet exist here. Q: What types of Alaska business- es and contractors could benefit from the project’s development? A: The project will require grav- el mining and hauling, road and pad construction, pile foundations, mod- ular fabrication and installation, pipeline fabrication and installation, camp services, catering, fuel supply, freight and logistics, equipment rent- al and maintenance, materials, envi- ronmental and permitting services, and ongoing operational support. Peak construction will involve over 2,500 workers on site during a multi- year build, operating year-round through Arctic winters. This is exact- ly the kind of work Alaska’s support industry has been doing on the North
Company’s Project Aaka ‘represents next chapter’ EDITOR’S NOTE: STAK Energy is an Anchorage-based energy infrastructure company founded and led by Sparrow Mahoney. STAK is developing Project Aaka, a multi-gigawatt, off-grid natural gas fired power plant on Alaska’s North Slope. Fireweed Strategies asked STAK officials to provide insight about their current and future plans. Q: What inspired STAK Energy to pursue a large-scale data center project in Alaska? A: STAK was founded on a simple observation: Alaska’s North Slope holds the largest stranded natural gas reserves in North America. That energy resource has been sitting underutilized for over 50 years. And today, while the na- tion and the state face a growing shortage of energy in- frastructure, we are endeavoring to put Alaska’s resources to work. STAK is developing Project Aaka, a multi-gigawatt, off-grid natural gas fired power plant on Alaska’s North Slope. We are building critical energy infrastructure, built in Alaska, using Alaska’s resources. The power we produce can serve myriad applications, from mining and military needs to industrial development and advanced computing. Q: How does this project fit into your broader vision for Alaska’s economic future? A: Alaska built its modern economy by developing its resources. Oil flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline has funded the state for generations. But our economy suffers when prices or production declines. Project Aaka represents the next chapter: converting a resource that has never been monetized into long-term, value-added economic activity. The gas produced stays in Alaska. The power is generated in Alaska. Jobs, contracts, and revenue stay in Alaska. This is in-state development delivering in-state benefit, and it opens the door to indus - tries that have never been possible here. Q: Why do you believe Alaska is uniquely positioned to participate in the rapidly growing AI and cloud comput- ing economy? A: Alaska has the three things this industry needs most and cannot find in the Lower 48: abundant energy, avail -
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able land, and natural cooling. The North Slope holds over 35 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves. Av- erage annual temperatures of approximately 12 degrees Fahrenheit allow infrastructure to be cooled with ambient air rather than the water-intensive systems conventional facilities depend on. Our site also sits within an established industrial cor- ridor with five decades of large-scale Arctic construction expertise behind it. The constraints that are stalling de- velopment across the Lower 48, including grid congestion, land and zoning conflicts, and water scarcity, simply do not apply here. Q: How might this development help diversify Alas- ka’s economy beyond traditional resource industries? A: Project Aaka bridges Alaska’s traditional resource economy and the digital economy. It uses a traditional resource, natural gas, to anchor an entirely new industry sector in the state. That brings new types of jobs, new supply chains, new customers, and new expertise to Alas- ka. Photo by Lee Leschper Sparrow Mahoney, STAK Energy Founder and CEO, gave a presentation about Project Aaka recently at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage.
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | SUMMER 2026
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