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START Program

The Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) initiative is a project of the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (DOE-IE) aimed at advancing next-generation energy development in Indian Country. The START initiative is focused on the 48 contiguous states and Alaska. It is led by a technical assistance team comprised of experts from DOE and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The START Program is supported by funds appropriated to the DOE Office of Indian Energy and thus is in keeping with the statutory requirements pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which directs and authorizes IE to provide technical assistance services to tribal governments and entities as defined in Section 2601 of the Act.  Any additional questions regarding eligibility should be directed to IndianEnergy@hq.doe.gov.

START Program: 48 Contiguous States

Through the START, early-stage project development technical assistance is provided to selected projects in the 48 contiguous states. DOE and NREL experts work directly with community-based teams and tribal legal/finance specialists to further develop market feasibility; due diligence research, analysis, and documentation; and early pre-development work to prepare site control, verify resource, pre-qualify off-take agreements and strategy, and produce a permitting plan. The result of the technical assistance is a prepared pre-development package to support a request for proposal (RFP) process for financing or construction.

**We are no longer accepting START program applications** 

START Program: Alaska

The Alaska START initiative is assisting in the development of tribal energy planning for Alaska Native Entities. This includes a competitive technical assistance opportunity aimed at:

  • Reducing the cost and price of energy for Alaska Native consumers and communities
  • Increasing local capacity, energy efficiency, and conservation through training and public education
  • Increasing clean energy deployment and financing opportunities for communities and utilities.

The Alaska START initiative will be a comprehensive effort examining all energy-related issues in select Alaska Native villages, including diesel powerhouses, power distribution infrastructure, utility management, bulk fuel storage, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, sewer and water energy demands, housing, and other community issues.

Led by DOE-IE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the START will support Alaska Native Entities activities focused on community-based energy planning, energy awareness and training programs, and identification and implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities.

Technical assistance in Alaska will include intensive data collection and analysis,  on-site training in the community that will address the above issues and provide technical support to selected projects, and ongoing work with the community to train community members and implement energy and cost savings initiatives.

**We are no longer accepting START Alaska program applications**

Office of Indian Energy START Team

Tracey LeBeau
Tracey LeBeau
Director, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

Tracey A. LeBeau (Cheyenne River Sioux) is Director for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.  She was appointed in January 2011 to establish this new Office which is authorized by statute to manage, coordinate, create and facilitate programs and initiatives to encourage tribal energy and energy infrastructure development.  Administratively, the Office was established to also coordinate, across the Department, those policies, programs and initiatives involving Indian energy and energy infrastructure development.

More about Tracey LeBeau
Pilar Thomas
Pilar Thomas
Deputy Director, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

Pilar Thomas (Pascua Yaqui) is the Deputy Director in the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.  As Deputy Director, Ms. Thomas assists the Director in developing national energy policy and programs related to Indian energy development.  Ms. Thomas is also responsible for developing and implementing policy efforts within the Department and federal government to achieve the Office’s Indian Energy policy objectives. 

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Dan Beckley
Principal Laboratory Program Manager at NREL

Dan Beckley is a Principal Laboratory Program Manager at NREL. He provides oversight and guidance for the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team. Mr. Beckley was a Presidential Management Fellow in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy prior to joining NREL.

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Liz Doris
Senior Project Leader at NREL

Liz Doris is a Senior Project Leader at NREL specializing in understanding strategies for developing clean energy technologies in a variety of markets. She is the project manager for the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team. Ms. Doris has managed state and local policy and technical assistance project teams for NREL since 2006. Prior to NREL, she managed state and local efforts at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. 

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Alexander Dane
Project Leader at NREL

Alexander Dane is a Project Leader at NREL, specializing in clean energy planning and project implementation at a local level. Mr. Dane focuses on implementation and document recasting for the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team.

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Dr. Brian Hirsch
Dr. Brian Hirsch
Senior Project Leader for NREL’s Alaska Initiative

Dr. Brian Hirsch is a Senior Project Leader for NREL’s Alaska initiative, working with Alaska native tribes and other stakeholders on development of local energy resources. As part of the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team, Dr. Hirsch is responsible for technical assistance and project implementation in Alaska.

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Robert Springer
Senior Project Leader at NREL

Bob Springer is a Senior Project Leader at NREL. As part of the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team, Mr. Springer is responsible for technical assistance and project implementation in the lower 48 states. His experience includes project development and finance.

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Sarah Busche
Energy Policy Analyst at NREL

Sarah Busche is an energy policy analyst at NREL, assisting state, local, and tribal governments with developing policies to increase deployment of clean energy technologies. Ms. Busche focuses on understanding how existing policy environments impact successful project implementation for the NREL Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs project team.

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NREL

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides technical support to the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.