As Givey's decade with DOE came to a close, he reflected upon the work of the Arctic Energy Office in support of the Department and Alaska.
October 23, 2023
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Editor's Note: Givey Kochanowski was a Senior Advisor for the Arctic Energy Office until October 21, 2023. He is now the Alaska State Director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Arctic Energy Office could not do its job without relationships. No amount of technology, policies or programs can substitute for the human side of energy. Looking back over the past decade since I helped set up the DOE office in Alaska, relationships have been the clear and constant thread that has made all our policies, programs, and projects successful. Alaska is such a vast landscape when overlaid on the Lower 48 would span from South Carolina past San Francisco. Establishing and sustaining relationships across such a vast area takes special focus and practice.
The Arctic Energy Office is fortune to be able to focus on a discreet territory as the only geographic office within the Department of Energy and I want to celebrate and explore the methodology that has served Alaska and the Department so well since opening operations in this state. As my decade with DOE comes to a close, I reflect upon the roles I served in to support the Department and Alaska.
Bridging the numerous regions and cultures across Alaska is a full-time effort for the Arctic Energy Office because there is constant turnover within our stakeholders’ organizations. Ensuring DOE brand awareness and understanding of the range of offerings is important in this ever-changing environment and often eroding knowledge base. The Office invests significant effort and resources in maintaining statewide coverage physically and virtually. However, the most impactful approach has been physical engagement to establish trust and credibility that underpin long and enduring relationships.
Nameless, faceless generic emails touting program benefits or directing people to website when their community lacks basic broadband infrastructure is ineffective in making initial contact with potential partner communities. Armed with this applied and lived experience, the Arctic Energy Office plays a crucial role in connecting the big Department of Energy organization in the Beltway with the most remote corners of Alaska.
The time to build relationships is not in the midst of a crisis. The Department of Energy in Alaska has taken a proactive approach to build and sustain relationships through outreach events, village site visits, projects, and being part of several work groups within the state and nationally that benefit Alaska. Every relationship is different so should be the methods of engagement. Long-standing, mature relationships require different approaches than new, budding relationships with an entity that has never worked with the Department of Energy.
The success of this respectful approach is evident in the repeat invitations the Office receives for site visits and events throughout the year. Once new relationships have blossomed into trusted partnership great things have happened in funding and projects across the state.
Equally important, the Arctic Energy Office makes relationships on behalf of Alaska within the Department of Energy. Through liaison relationships with other programs, always advocating for Alaska, and hosting national leadership in Alaska, the Arctic Energy Office brings the needs, challenges, and opportunities of Alaska and the Arctic to the Department to help promulgate better policies and procedures for programs that affect the state. This upward education ranges from explaining the complexities of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to how eligibility and merit factors for funding need accommodation in execution.
In practice, this looks like countless hours in float and bush planes, getting to the most remote communities. One of my best memories was flying into Kobuk and taking a boat to Shungnak by way of a summer culture camp for local children. My work building relationships in Shungnak took a few days which meant sleeping in the school gym and meeting with elders and leaders during the day, making sure all stakeholders and partners were aware of what DOE could do in terms of projects and support. The relationships I built there along with the NANA regional corporation and Northwest Arctic Borough eventually led to a first of its kind project in the Arctic to bring a community powered by diesel fuel to find clean energy solutions like integrated solar and battery storage The projects always come from the people and a foundation of strong relationships.
I have been enjoying the series of fall events in Alaska and seeing old and new friends and strengthen Department of Energy relationships. From working with industry at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association conference to the Native community at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, there are many opportunities for the Arctic Energy Office to engage and share our message of help and partnership with all entities whether they’ve worked with us for a decade or are just taking their first steps building a stakeholder partnership relationship with us. The quality of our relationships sustain us and our work.
Givey Kochanowski
Givey Kochanowski was a senior advisor on Alaska for the Arctic Energy Office, as a detailee from DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs until October 2023.
Before joining the Arctic Energy Office, Givey served eight years in DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs as both the Alaska Program Manager and Senior Advisor. He re-established DOE’s physical presence in Alaska and was the first career employee hired in that office. He delivered technical assistance, capacity building, energy education, and outreach to Alaskan tribal entities to reduce energy costs and improve economic development.
He has an extensive military and international affairs background from his tenure as a Customer Service Director at the U.S. General Services Administration in Alaska and overseas. He also brings Alaskan logistics expertise from his position as the U.S. Forest Service’s Alaska Regional Fleet Manager and as an active duty Air Force commissioned officer.
He is a 2001 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate with assignments at Eglin AFB in Florida, Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea, and Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. He earned his Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
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