Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Alaska

Synapse provided facilitation, policy, and technical analyses for the Alaska climate change action planning process to develop state policies that will lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the Energy Supply and Residential, Commercial, and Industrial sectors in Alaska. Synapse facilitated one of the Working Groups of the Alaska Climate Change Mitigation Advisory Group (MAG). The Working Group included representatives from state and local governments, utilities, businesses, the building and green energy sectors, environmental groups, and the research community. In addition to facilitating the Working Group, Synapse analyzed and estimated the cost of and potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 through a number of policy mechanisms. For the energy supply sector, these include expanded use of renewable energy including direct heating, improved efficiency of new and existing power plants, and transmission optimization and expansion. For the residential, commercial, and industrial sector, policies included state and utility efficiency programs, appliance standards, and building codes.