The Arctic Energy Ambassadors program will provide training and support to develop regional energy leadership in the state, driving community-lead energy projects and support clean energy transitions in their communities.
October 20, 2023
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Today, Dr. Erin Whitney, Director of the Arctic Energy Office announced the launch of the Arctic Energy Ambassadors on stage at the annual Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage.
The Arctic Energy Ambassadors will provide training and support to develop regional energy leadership in the state for selected, experienced practitioners (“Energy Ambassadors”) to improve energy security across Alaska’s Arctic region and beyond. The Arctic Energy Ambassadors program is led by the Arctic Energy Office, in partnership with the Denali Commission, Alaska Municipal League, and with additional funding from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of State and Community Energy Programs.
At the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, Director Whitney was joined by Assistant Secretary of Electricity Gene Rodrigues, Rose Dady, the Assistant Director and Director of the Office of Community Engagement for the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, Tony Reams, the Principal Deputy Director for the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, and Ariel Marshall, the Chief of Staff for the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation to make the announcement of the launch of the Arctic Energy Ambassadors Program.
Apply now through November 22 to be considered to serve as an Arctic Energy Ambassador.
The Arctic Energy Ambassadors will be selected by the end of the year. They will help the U.S. Department of Energy articulate and understand community and regional energy needs through a cohort of local champions, connect stakeholders and promote professional and regional capacity development through ongoing DOE training and engagement, provide regional technical assistance to advance project development, and work to develop regional or statewide projects, with solutions to energy issues that could be replicated throughout the Arctic. They will also work with the Alaska Municipal League to vet their community's energy projects through an online project clearinghouse/portal for DOE grants, DOE program office involvement, and other funding sources.
Originally conceived in 2014 under the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs as the Alaska Energy Ambassadors Program, the initiative developed regional energy leadership in the state through deployment of energy projects and support for grant applications and technical assistance. However, the program was limited to tribal stakeholders, had low-level funding, and focused on grants. The Arctic Energy Office (AE) seeks to reinvigorate this program to include all Alaska stakeholders and develop a new AE-led network of energy leaders to help move the state towards sustainable and impactful projects that could be supported by DOE programs or other funding sources from federal, state, or private sector partners.
We encourage you to follow the Arctic Energy Office on social media or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on activities of the Arctic Energy Ambassadors.
AnneMarie Horowitz
AnneMarie Horowitz is the Chief of Staff for the Arctic Energy Office. She joined the Arctic Energy Office in May 2023, and previously served as the Acting Communications Director until September 2023. AnneMarie has been with the Energy Department since 2010, and was previously on the digital team of the Office of Public Affairs, where she managed digital projects and internal employee communications efforts. AnneMarie was the Digital Communications Manager from March 2023 - September 2023 for the Department of Health and Human Affairs' Public Education Campaign, We Can Do This, to share information about the COVID vaccine.
AnneMarie founded two active employee resource groups at the Department of Energy: POWER (Professional Opportunities for Women in Energy Realized) and the Emerging Professionals Group. From 2015 - 2017 she served as the Special Advisor on workforce issues for Deputy Secretary of Energy Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. She has also previously worked in the Under Secretary for Management and Performance and the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity.
AnneMarie created the STEM Rising: Women @ Energy series, featuring profiles of women from the agency who work in STEM careers. She was critical to establishing the Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative, a dual-hatted effort of the International Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Ministerial to advance the transition to a clean energy economy by engaging more women in clean energy, and is involved with the U.S. C3E Initiative as an award reviewer and communication. During the Obama Administration she was a DOE designee to the White House Council on Women and Girls. AnneMarie was a U.S. delegate to the APEC Women in the Economy Forum in 2014 in Beijing, China.
AnneMarie has a BA in Political Science from the University of Portland and a Masters of Government from Johns Hopkins University. She resides in Philadelphia.