Update on the office from the director.
Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
March 5, 2015
minute read time
We wrapped up 2014 with an outstanding dialogue between DOE Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz and the tribal leaders of our DOE-sponsored energy working groups. Also at the end of the year, the new Under Secretary for Science and Energy, Dr. Franklin Orr, was sworn in to oversee several offices within DOE, including the DOE Office of Indian Energy.
The new year brought many exciting developments, beginning with President Obama signing the Fiscal Year 2016 appropriations bill. The bill requests $20 million for the DOE Office of Indian Energy for financial and technical assistance; capacity building; and deployment of energy, energy infrastructure, microgrids, and energy efficiency projects. It also includes a newly proposed $11 million Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program, which would provide underwriting and credit subsidies for loan guarantees for tribally owned energy generation projects.
In January I joined the DOE Office of Indian Energy as Acting Director, having served as Director of Tribal and Intergovernmental Affairs in DOE’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs since 2010. Tribal energy issues have been a significant focus of mine, both in my professional career and as a citizen of the Osage Nation, and I am honored to serve the Obama Administration in this capacity.
By building on the strong foundation established by both of my predecessors and leveraging appropriations signed into law, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is poised to grow its capabilities and continue serving Indian Country effectively for many years to come. This year we plan to build our team of talented people, expand our technical assistance and grant program, enhance our interagency coordination, and initiate much-needed tribal energy research. We will also broaden the dialogue with tribal leaders, expand and strengthen our partnerships, and explore more opportunities and solutions with Tribes across the nation.
The need to create real and meaningful change in Indian Country and Native Alaska has never been more pressing in light of climate change, and I look forward to working closely with tribal leaders to leverage the opportunities we have to rise to the challenge in the months ahead.
As we make progress, is important to share the stories of various challenges, successes, and lessons learned along the way. I hope you enjoy and benefit from reading about our efforts to provide Tribes with the tools, information, and resources they need to prepare for the impacts of climate change, increase energy security, and build community resiliency. As always, we want to hear from you. Please share your ideas, comments, or suggestions at [email protected].
David F. Conrad
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David F. Conrad (Osage Nation) serves as the acting director and deputy director for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. He recently served as the Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior (DOI), managing press relations, digital media, and communications in close coordination with the Secretary’s Office of Communication and other DOI Bureaus. In the past, Mr. Conrad also worked as the Department’s Director for Tribal and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, where he was responsible for intergovernmental affairs with tribal, city, and county governments.
Mr. Conrad represented the Department on federal interagency working groups such as Strong Cities, Strong Communities; improving Sacred Sites protection; and the White House Council on Native American Affairs, and coordinated Department-wide implementation of its federal Indian Policy including increasing working knowledge of strengthening positive working relationships with tribal governments on issues related to the Department's scientific, energy development, environmental cleanup, and national security mission.
Mr. Conrad has 20 years of intergovernmental affairs experience in the energy, environmental, economic development, and natural and cultural resources arenas. Mr. Conrad has served in intergovernmental, legislative, and public affairs positions supporting tribal and local governments, and has experience working with legislative bodies at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels. He has also held executive leadership positions in the non-profit sector with the National Tribal Environmental Council and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes.
Mr. Conrad holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Santa Clara University and a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Administration from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay.
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In this "Meet Our Team” blog series, we introduce David Conrad, the Deputy Director of the Office of Indian Energy.