Alaska is getting into the carbon market. What does that mean for the budget – and the climate?

Lawmakers hope the sale of carbon offsets will be a new revenue source. But many of the plan’s details are yet to be determined.

The Department of Natural Resources hasat least three state forests it believes could generate offsets in the Mat-Su, the Tanana Valley and near Haines.“We see it as a way to monetize state resources that are currently not being monetized,” Boyle said.

One key question is who would buy Alaska’s offsets. Boyle said he’s not aware of any specific companies who have expressed interest yet. But as demand for offsets increases, he believes Alaska can be the supply. As the state moves forward with the process, Carbon Plan’s Freya Chay identified one big concern: will Alaska’s plan actually benefit the climate?

But all of these ideas are in their infancy. Many of the details governing the proposed carbon market are yet to be worked out. “Whether you believe in climate change or not, this is how the operations are being played around the world,” Rep. Tom McKay, R-Anchorage, chair of the House Resources Committee, told colleagues just before the bill’s final vote last week.

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