Project Spotlight: Mihta Askiy Data Centre
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The Mihta Askiy Data Centre is a proposed 650 MW natural gas power and AI data centre project on Woodland Cree First Nation's traditional lands in northern Alberta. The project is majority-owned by the Woodland Cree Firstr Nation in partnership with Sovereign Digital Infrastructure. The partners plan to acquire a partially completed power plant outright and repurpose it to power the AI computing infrastructure.
Project Overview
The project is located approximately 40 km northeast of Peace River on Woodland Cree First Nation's traditional lands in Alberta. The plan calls for Mihta Askiy Datacenter LP to acquire a partially completed power plant along with its associated land and equipment and combine it with a data centre designed to support AI training, data storage, and high-performance computing workloads. On-site natural gas generation capacity is planned at 650 MW total, including two 200 MW Siemens turbines already procured, with grid backup arrangements as required by the Alberta Electric System Operator. Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom, who brings a background in the oil and gas sector, is leading the project for Woodland Cree First Nation, which has said it is conducting ongoing consultation with other First Nations and Métis communities in the area alongside engagement with local governments.
Project Details
Location: ~40 km northeast of Peace River Alberta
Technology: Natural gas power generation co-located with data centre
Capacity: 650 MW
Status: In development
Industry Partner: Sovereign Digital Infrastructure
Indigenous Owner: Woodland Cree First Nation
Indigenous Ownership
Mihta Askiy Datacenter LP is 51% majority-owned by Woodland Cree First Nation. The project is one of a small but growing number of Indigenous-led AI projects emerging across Canada, alongside comparable efforts such as Malahat Nation's partnership with DMG Blockchain Solutions in British Columbia to develop Indigenous-led AI data centre infrastructure.
Why This Project Matters
This project represents a new category for Indigenous energy ownership in the AI infrastrcuture sector. Mihta Askiy is a behind-the-meter power plant built specifically to serve the co-located AI data centre — a distinct and rapidly growing category as data centre demand reshapes electricity markets across Canada.
Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker
The Mihta Askiy Data Centre is one of the many Indigenous-owned projects tracked in IEM's Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker (IEOT). It was built to centralize project ownership details, identify partnership models, and improve transparency across Canada's energy transition.
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