Q1. What is STAK Energy?
STAK Energy is an Anchorage-based energy infrastructure company founded and led by Sparrow Mahoney. We are developing Project Aaka, a multi-gigawatt, off-grid natural gas fired power plant on Alaska’s North Slope. Our headquarters are in Anchorage and our roots are Alaskan.
Q2. STAK previously described itself as focused on cryptocurrency mining. What changed?
STAK was founded to develop off-grid energy infrastructure on Alaska’s North Slope. The national need for large-scale energy infrastructure is rapidly evolving. Demand for AI and advanced computing has emerged as one of the most significant resource challenges of our time. STAK has scaled its model to meet that need. The foundation has always been the same: put Alaska’s stranded natural gas to work.
Q3. Will this project affect Alaskans’ electricity bills or put strain on the public grid?
No. Project Aaka is completely off-grid. We generate our own power on-site and consume it on-site. We have no connection to Alaska’s public utility grid and no impact on Alaskan ratepayers.
Q4. Data centers are being protested and shut down across the country over energy concerns. Why is this different?
Project Aaka is being developed on Alaska’s North Slope, on state land, within an established industrial corridor, far from any population center. We do not connect to the public grid and have no impact on Alaskan ratepayers. The conditions that are driving opposition to data centers across the country simply do not apply here.
Q5. This project will consume more gas than all of urban Alaska. Won’t that make Alaska’s energy crisis worse?
No. The gas powering Project Aaka is stranded natural gas from the North Slope, a completely separate resource from the Cook Inlet gas supply that serves urban Alaska. These are different gas fields, hundreds of miles apart, with no connection to each other. The North Slope holds over 100 trillion cubic feet of stranded natural gas. There is plenty of gas for multiple initiatives. Project Aaka does not compete with Alaskan households or businesses for fuel.
Q6. You are building on permafrost in the Arctic. Is that actually feasible?
Yes. The North Slope has a decades-long track record of large-scale industrial construction on permafrost. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Prudhoe Bay, and numerous other major facilities were all built and have operated successfully in these conditions for decades. We are applying the same proven engineering approaches, including pile-supported foundations, insulated systems, and designs specifically engineered for Arctic conditions.
Q7. How does the natural cooling advantage of the North Slope work and what does it mean for water consumption?
Average annual temperatures at the project site are approximately 12 degrees Fahrenheit, with winter temperatures frequently below minus 22 degrees and summer highs rarely exceeding 59 degrees. The Arctic’s naturally cold ambient temperatures, coupled with closed-loop cooling systems, make the North Slope an ideal environment for high-heat energy infrastructure. This approach is expected to reduce direct operational water consumption by 90 percent or more compared to industry norms.
All water use at the site is subject to state permitting requirements and will comply fully with Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Alaska Department of Fish and Game standards. Withdrawals will not exceed sustainable levels.
STAK is conducting detailed thermal modeling during engineering to ensure our development does not negatively impact permafrost stability. This is standard practice for responsible Arctic development and is built into our project design from the ground up.
Q8. What about the environmental impact of this project?
STAK is committed to responsible development. Project Aaka will obtain all required federal, state, and local permits before any construction begins. The site will be designed to minimize disturbance to wildlife and the surrounding tundra, protect existing surface water flows, and operate within established environmental standards. We are building in one of the world’s most remarkable environments and we take that seriously.
Q9. What is the DNR land lease application and what does it mean that it has been listed publicly?
Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources manages state-owned land. Any company seeking to develop on that land must apply for a lease. STAK submitted its application in November 2025. DNR conducted a standard competitive solicitation, inviting other parties to apply. No competing bids were received. DNR reviewed the application, issued a preliminary best interest finding, and listed it publicly as part of their standard review process. Every step is conducted by DNR, governed by Alaska statute, and open to full public review and comment. DNR’s own Preliminary Decision found that this development represents a productive use of state land consistent with the state’s interest in maximizing the economic and public benefit of its natural resources. That is how Alaska puts its resources to work for its people.
Q10. The lease area is 715 acres. That sounds enormous. What does that actually represent?
715 acres is the gross lease area, sited adjacent to an existing industrial corridor in a borough roughly the size of Wyoming. It is not the amount of land that will be covered or disturbed. STAK is actively working to minimize the actual footprint within that boundary.
Q11. What is the economic benefit of this project for Alaska?
Project Aaka will employ over 2,500 workers on site at peak construction during a multi-year build. Once operational, the project will support several hundred full-time positions. Beyond direct employment, the project brings new industries and new customers to Alaska, creating sustained demand for local support businesses, contractors, and service providers. This is long-term economic activity, not a construction boom that disappears.
Q12. Why does this project matter beyond Alaska?
The United States is facing a significant and growing shortage of large-scale energy infrastructure. Demand for power is increasing faster than the grid can support it. Alaska has the resources, the land, and the conditions to help solve that problem at a scale that matters nationally. Project Aaka puts those resources to work. What we build here strengthens America’s energy security and infrastructure capacity without asking anything of American taxpayers or ratepayers.