I have been asked to be the liaison to you to ask whether or not the Department would consider a more reasonable reporting time frame for tribes like we have done under the American Rescue Plan.

We should be working together to try to figure out how we can solve some of these problems...

If we can resolve some of these things quickly to allow for these applications to be submitted, and again, to take advantage of this, that is where we are going to make a difference.

We are lagging and a commercially available icebreaker is just going to be a gap-filler.

In Alaska, again, with small tribes, it is complicated, but most utilities are also small and simply can't afford the match.

I have found in some agencies... an unwillingness to speak the language of the tribes.

One of the challenges that we have in Alaska, just as it is difficult to get things in, you have to fly barrels of fuel in at the end of winter, it is equally difficult to get things out.

That is what these consortia are able to do. They are able to build capacity so that these many, many much smaller and much less advantaged tribes, they are the most disadvantaged, they are the ones that need it most, and yet they have the…

One of the challenges that we have in Alaska, just as it is difficult to get things in, you have to fly barrels of fuel in at the end of winter, it is equally difficult to get things out.

Speaking about refining the procedures, of course you are familiar with the, in Alaska, the tribal consortia, and how they really are able to harness economies of scale.

I would ask that our teams sit down and talk about this, because as we are talking about it, you have a deadline that is coming up with opportunities for grant funding that is going to make a difference to tribes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Most Native communities in Alaska still are relying on diesel fuel and heating oil.

I want to underscore again using my State as an example, Alaska Native peoples as an example of why it is so imperative that we improve tribal energy development.

Know that again what we want to do is get to a long-term solution to that program.

We are approaching April. This is the time of year we start hearing from our communities saying we have run out.

Alaska is also a border state, a northern border state with extensive border

Most Native communities in Alaska still are relying on diesel fuel and heating oil.