An electrochemical method of preparing olefins from an alkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid, comprising: providing an electrochemical cell comprising: an anolyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active anode adapted to perform a two-electron decarboxylation reaction of an alkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid, wherein the anode comprises a carbonaceous surface; a catholyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active cathode where reduction reactions occur; an alkali ion conductive membrane separating the anolyte compartment from the catholyte compartment that permits selective transport of alkali ions between the anolyte compartment and the catholyte compartment; providing an anolyte solution comprising an alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid to the anolyte compartment, wherein the solution has a pH in the range from 8 to 14; and applying an electrical potential to the anode and cathode to electrochemically decarboxylate the carboxylic acid salt into one or more olefins; wherein the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid is derived from a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, and icosanoic acid. providing an electrochemical cell comprising: an anolyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active anode adapted to perform a two-electron decarboxylation reaction of an alkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid, wherein the anode comprises a carbonaceous surface; a catholyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active cathode where reduction reactions occur; an alkali ion conductive membrane separating the anolyte compartment from the catholyte compartment that permits selective transport of alkali ions between the anolyte compartment and the catholyte compartment; an anolyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active anode adapted to perform a two-electron decarboxylation reaction of an alkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid, wherein the anode comprises a carbonaceous surface; a catholyte compartment comprising an electrochemically active cathode where reduction reactions occur; an alkali ion conductive membrane separating the anolyte compartment from the catholyte compartment that permits selective transport of alkali ions between the anolyte compartment and the catholyte compartment; providing an anolyte solution comprising an alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid to the anolyte compartment, wherein the solution has a pH in the range from 8 to 14; and applying an electrical potential to the anode and cathode to electrochemically decarboxylate the carboxylic acid salt into one or more olefins; wherein the alkali metal salt of the carboxylic acid is derived from a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, and icosanoic acid.