Feature article from the Summer 2015 edition of the Alaska Energy Pioneer on DOE's technical assistance requests in Alaska.
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
June 2, 2015
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Alaska Native villages and regional and village corporations are eligible for up to 40 hours of strategic energy planning and project development technical assistance designed to advance renewable energy projects. Photo from Intelligent Energy Systems, NREL 29205.
Sometimes the impact that happens at key points of contact creates a ripple effect. The DOE Office of Indian Energy saw that in Alaska after a series of regional energy workshops in March sparked a flurry of technical assistance requests. In the month following the workshops, DOE received 10 requests for technical assistance in Alaska—just under half as many as were received from Alaska in the previous six months and a third as many as were fulfilled in all of Fiscal Year 2014.
"DOE’s active engagement with Alaska Native villages has raised awareness of the technical assistance options available to them,” said Alaska Program Manager Givey Kochanowski. “I think the workshops also inspired some communities to consider renewable energy in new ways, leading them to technical assistance."
Kochanowski said his goal is to double the number of technical assistance requests met in Alaska this year. Learn more about on-demand technical assistance in Alaska.