For the sixth year in a row, Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine has contributed $50,000 to the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund (ACRF), a program administered by Alaska Heat Smart (AHS) that provides lower-income families with financial support to transition from oil or propane home heating to reliable, efficient, affordable heat pumps.
Switching to an efficient electric heating system allows residents to tap into the region’s inexpensive hydroelectric power rather than relying on expensive, imported oil. Despite the long-term savings to be gleaned from heat pumps, many families are unable to afford the initial installation costs of adding a new heating system to their home. Kensington’s 2026 support will help bridge that gap for roughly twenty families in Juneau and other southeast Alaska communities. Every heat pump added will reduce a family’s heating bills by an average of $1,500 per year, while also improving their indoor air quality and reducing their dependence on a highly volatile oil market.
Alaska Heat Smart staff and board members, Renewable Juneau Board Members, and Coeur Alaska staff, from left to right: Aaron Blust, AHS; Mike Hekkers, AHS; Gretchen Keiser, AHS; Paul Voelckers, AHS; Steve Ball, Coeur; Andy Romanoff, AHS; and Steve Behnke, AHS and RJ.
Carbon Offsetting
Not only are local families benefitting from clean energy, but by partnering with ACRF, Coeur Alaska offsets nearly 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide produced from its operations at Kensington Mine north of Juneau. This carbon load is nearly equivalent to that produced each year by the crew shuttles which travel daily from Yankee Cove to the mine dock, Kensington’s marine commute for staff. These crew transport trips burn nearly 115k gallons of diesel annually in order to move over 400 employees and contractors to and from the Juneau road system to the mine dock in Berners Bay.
Coeur’s annual donation to ACRF nearly offsets the emissions produced from daily crew transportation operations to the off-grid Kensington Mine site.
“Our partnership with the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund is a win-win,” says Coeur’s External Affairs Manager Rochelle Lindley. “Contributing to ACRF has allowed us to reduce our carbon footprint in a way that makes a tangible difference for families in need while supporting the local economy. We are proud to make a difference here in Southeast and we hope our partnership will encourage other businesses to support ACRF.”
There are many ways to follow Coeur’s lead and contribute to ACRF’s local affordability and emissions reductions efforts. Join the cadre of subscribers who contribute carbon-reduction dollars monthly. When needed, make one-time contributions to balance out the impact of travel, a car, or your home heating. Or, work with our staff to build a local or regional businesses partnership, like to support sustainable business practices and responsible carbon management. We thank Coeur for their ongoing support, which continues to allow ACRF to expand its reach and support an increasing number of lower income families across the region.
As always, we are indebted to the generous support of the following business partners:
