DNR offers 50-year North Slope lease for gas-powered data center

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources issued a preliminary decision May 12 to offer STAK Energy Corporation a 50-year lease on 715.4 acres of state land for a data center capable of producing 1 to 3 gigawatts of electrical power on the North Slope. Written comments are due by 4:30 p.m. on June 15.

The scale is what makes the proposal stand out. A 3-gigawatt facility would rank among the largest data center campuses in the world — comparable in power draw to a small-to-mid-sized city — and would consume North Slope natural gas that has historically had no commercial path to market because no gas pipeline connects the slope to the Lower 48 or international markets. STAK proposes modular high-performance computing units alongside on-site gas generation roughly 26 miles south of Deadhorse, one mile west of the Dalton Highway at Milepost 390, and west of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

The physical footprint matches the energy ambition. The project would require 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel fill, a peak construction workforce of 1,500, and about 60 permanent operational positions. Construction capital is estimated at $500 million.

DNR opened competitive interest from December 2025 through January 2026 and received no other applications. A March 12 inter-agency review involved the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The lease, if finalized, would include a base rental rate plus a percentage of annual gross receipts. DNR's preliminary decision is not a final authorization — the division may modify or revoke it after reviewing public and agency comments. The lease itself doesn't guarantee gas supply, transmission access, or resolve air quality, wildlife, or subsistence concerns that may surface in other permitting processes.