Alaska
Financial Incentives
Tax Benefits: In certain areas of Alaska, the tax rate on fuel blended with ethanol is reduced by
$0.06 per gallon as compared to the tax rate on other motor fuels.1
Loan Programs: The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) offers interest rate
reductions to home buyers purchasing new and existing homes with 5 Star and 5 Star Plus energy
ratings2 and offers loans to make energy-efficient home improvements.3 The Alaska Power
Project Loan Fund provides loans for the development or upgrade of small-scale power
production facilities, conservation facilities, and bulk fuel storage facilities.4 Loans are also
available to state and local governments and schools for energy efficiency improvements through
the Alaska Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Program.5 Alaska requires financial
institutions to take into consideration the economic benefits of alternative energy systems, lifecycle energy costs, energy efficient building design, and energy conservation when financing
homes and buildings with state financial assistance.6
Grants: Alaska’s Residential Energy Conservation Fund provides funds to purchase, construct,
and install energy conservation improvements in residential buildings.7 The Renewable Energy
Fund Grant Program provides grants to utilities, independent power producers, and local
governments for renewable energy projects.8 Alaska’s Emerging Energy Technology Fund
provides grants for projects deploying technology that is expected to be commercially viable
within five years.9
Rebates: Alaska offers rebates to homeowners who make energy efficiency improvements to an
existing home and to purchasers of a newly constructed 5 Star Plus home.10 With money from
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Alaska's Residential EnergyEfficient Appliance Rebate Program offers rebates for select Energy Star appliances installed in
disabled Alaskans' households.11
Bonds: $250 million in bond financing is available for energy efficiency projects through the
AHFC.12
Rules and Regulations
Renewable Portfolio Standard: Alaska has established a target of producing 50 percent of its
electricity from renewable resources by 2025.13
Facility Siting and Permitting: Alaska’s solar easement law allows parties to voluntarily enter
into solar easement contracts for the purpose of ensuring adequate sun for a solar system.14
Building Codes, Appliance, and Equipment Standards: Alaska has adopted the 2006 IECC,
with Alaska-specific amendments, as the state’s residential building energy efficiency
standards.15
Electricity Transmission, Interconnection and Storage: Alaska’s net metering regulations
were finalized and approved by the lieutenant governor in January 2010 and became effective
January 15, 2010. All electric utilities subject to economic regulation are required to offer net
metering to renewable energy facilities up to 25 kilowatts (kW) in capacity.16
Policies, Plans, and Governmental Affiliations
Policies and Plans: The Alaska Climate Change Mitigation Advisory Group released a final
report in 2009 with 32 policy recommendations for further study that could reduce GHG
emissions in Alaska.17 In November 2010, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its
Climate Change Strategy, describing the potential impacts of climate change and outlining an
approach to statewide adaptation.18
Government Entities: Alaska Climate Change Mitigation Advisory Group,19 Alaska Climate
Impact Assessment Commission, Alaska Department of Fish and Game,20 Alaska Energy
Authority,21 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation,22 Regulatory Commission of Alaska.23
Regional Memberships: Alaska is an observer of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI)24 and a
member of the Western Governors' Association (WGA), which has adopted a number of policy
resolutions and initiatives in support of clean energy.25
1
Alaska Stat. § 43.40.010.
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/loans/eeirr.cfm.
3
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/loans/second_energy_conserv.cfm.
4
Alaska Stat. § 42.45.010; http://akenergyauthority.org/programsloan.html.
5
Alaska Stat. § 18.56.855; http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/loans/akeerlf_loan.cfm.
6
Alaska Stat. § 46.11.050.
7
Alaska Stat. §§ 45.88.100 through 45.88.190.
8
Alaska Stat. §§ 45.88.010 through 45.88.090; http://www.akenergyauthority.org/RE_Fund.html.
9
Senate Bill No. 150 (2010).
10
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/energy/weatherization_rebates.cfm .
11
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/energy/appliance_rebates.cfm.
12
Senate Bill No. 220 (2010).
13
House Bill No. 306 (2010).
14
Alaska Stat. § 34.15.145.
15
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/reference/bees_standard.cfm.
16
3 ACC 50.900 et seq.; Regulatory Comm’n of Alaska Order R-09-001(3); Regulatory Comm’n of Alaska Order
R-09-001(3), Appendix A.
17
http://www.akclimatechange.us/Mitigation.cfm.
18
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/climatechangestrategy.pdf.
19
http://www.akclimatechange.us/Mitigation.cfm.
20
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/.
21
http://www.aidea.org/aea/.
22
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/.
23
http://rca.alaska.gov/.
24
http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/.
25
http://www.westgov.org/.
2