Carbon Reduction Strategy

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Carbon Reduction Strategy meets all five major requirements of 23 U.S.C. 175(d)(2) and the minor ones by identifying projects and strategies to limit emissions. One of the best ways to limit emissions is to not produce them. There is no need to reduce what isn’t produced. Emissions and energy consumption are directly related so focusing on energy efficiency is a great strategy to limit emissions. It is also wise investment in good government because it supports economic efficiency and environmental stewardship as well.

There are many strategies, methods, approaches, activities, and tactics SDDOT can use to implement SDDOT’s main carbon reduction strategy, which is to “Allocate Resources to Improve Energy Efficiency.” An intelligent approach to limit emissions aligns with economic and market forces to improve energy efficiency in ways that are appropriate to South Dakota’s context or setting. Developing a strategy that is “context sensitive” helps craft an effective approach. SDDOT and South Dakota citizens understand that strategies and methods that will work in an urban setting will not produce a favorable outcome in South Dakota’s rural setting.

SDDOT cannot, and does not want to, dictate to its customers how they will use the state’s transportation system. Trying to override the “invisible hand” guiding individual transportation choices hinders those complementary forces and does not nurture a harmonious and coordinated strategy that will limit emissions while supporting resilience and mobility. South Dakota’s strategy will be shaped by the extent and limits of what SDDOT can control and influence.

This document explains how SDDOT will limit emissions:

South Dakota Carbon Reduction Strategy

FHWA’s Approval Letter