On October 30, 2008, the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Global
Warming (GCGW) released its final report. In 2007, the GCGW was
directed through H.B. 2460 to set a greenhouse gas emission reduction
goal and to create a comprehensive plan for the implementation of this
goal. In the final report, the GCGW recommends a 20 percent emissions
reduction level below 2000 levels by 2020, 35 percent by 2025, and 50
percent by 2035. The final report includes 54 policy recommendations
for achieving the goal and proposes the creation of an Arkansas Climate
Change Center to oversee the implementation of these policies as well
as to monitor greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate
change in Arkansas.
The final report includes recommendations for energy efficiency,
renewable energy, government lead-by-example, and local initiatives.
Among the energy efficiency recommendations are the revision of
building codes, the implementation of building efficiency standards,
peak demand reduction goals for utilities, and tax exemptions and
incentives for the use of efficient technologies. The GCGW recommends
the use of a feed-in tariff that would achieve higher renewable energy
penetration by guaranteeing long-term contracts at above-market rates
for renewable energy producers, but includes a provision for the
creation of a state Renewable Portfolio Standard if the feed-in tariff
is not effective. Nuclear energy and coal plants using carbon capture
and storage (CCS) are suggested as low-carbon energy sources, though
the GCGW recommends banning new coal plants until CCS technology is
developed and implemented.
In 2000, Arkansas' GHG emissions were about 86.8 MMtCO2e. The GCGW
conducted an analysis of the 31 policy options with quantifiable
emissions reduction effects and concluded that implementation of the
plan would reduce emissions by 35.5 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent (MMtCO2e) by 2020 and 53.3 MMtCO2e by 2025; these
reductions are sufficient to achieve the 2020 goal and nearly achieve
the 2025 goal.
Action Plan
Climate Action Plans
