OE Welcomes New Deputy Assistant Secretary

The Office of Electricity (OE) is pleased to welcome our newest Deputy Assistant Secretary, Charles P. “Chuck” Kosak. He brings 30 years of experience as a strategist, policy maker, planner, and risk manager and a 24-year career with the Department of Defense (DoD). Chuck will lead OE’s Transmission Permitting and Technical Assistance (TPTA) division. TPTA works to evaluate existing laws, policies, and regulations to better understand changing regulatory landscapes and provide guidance and technical assistance to states, regional entities, and tribes to help them facilitate the development and maintenance of secure electric infrastructure.

A major focus of his work is to shape strategies to mitigate threats against U.S. critical energy infrastructure to help assure the U.S. government’s ability to defend the Homeland, empower military forces, and maintain essential civilian functions during crises. His team will work across the U.S. government, industry and the private sector to improve and prioritize information-sharing, collaboration, and investments to counter this evolving and expanding national challenge. “We’re thrilled to have Chuck join us in OE as we continue to lead the Department’s efforts to improve the resilience of our nation’s critical energy infrastructure,” said Assistant Secretary Bruce Walker. “I’m confident Chuck’s experience at DoD will be extremely valuable as we continue to build upon our partnerships with both public and private stakeholders.”

Prior to joining DOE, Mr. Kosak was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Defense Continuity & Mission Assurance, where he worked to develop plans to ensure that the Department of Defense can continue to execute core functions, even in the face of military and natural hazard threats to installations and infrastructure.

Previously, Mr. Kosak served in several roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy; serving as Principal Director of the Office of Partnership Strategy, Principal Director of the Office of African Affairs, and Deputy Director of the Office of NATO Policy. Mr. Kosak has won numerous DoD awards for his service, including twice winning the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service. He holds a master’s degree from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland (International Politics and Economics), a Master of Science from the National War College in Washington DC (National Security Studies), and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Economics and Political Science).