Under the new Energy Coordinator position, Haagenson will also be the new director of the Alaska Energy Authority. Receiving unanimous approval from the Alaska Energy Authority board, Haagenson won the position from a field of about six candidates.

Haagenson comes to the position from the Golden Valley Electric Association, where he served as the president and CEO until he retired in November 2007. Altogether he spent 30 years with the electric utility.

Taking input from communities around the state, Haagenson said he plans to use the new position to create and implement a business plan for lowering the cost of energy in Alaska.

“I don’t think I’m looking for a subsidy here,” Haagenson said. “I’m looking for a business plan.”

That would follow on work Haagenson did in Fairbanks as the chairman of a special taskforce assigned with lowering the cost of energy in Fairbanks.

That taskforce is attempting to integrate several different alternative energy projects to the existing Fairbanks electrical system, including both renewable energy and different technologies for traditional fossil fuels.

Haagenson said he also hopes to institute broad conservation ideas, designed to lower energy costs on the household level.

Giving a rough timeline, he said he hopes to have an energy policy ready by the end of the year.

The state has budgeted around $200,000 for the position in the coming budget, largely to cover travel and supplies, according to Karen Rehfeld, director of the Office of Management Budget.