California put out new proposed changes Tuesday to the low-carbon fuel standard, its credit-based program to reduce emissions from transportation fuels — but almost no one is happy with them.
The amendments — the third set of changes proposed since last December, and likely the last as the California Air Resources Board is set to vote Nov. 8 — were smaller and more technical compared with the previous set released in August. The changes garnered praise from some industry groups, consternation from others and were panned by environmentalists who argue they did not address their concerns related to incentives for biofuels.
Tuesday’s amendments include a delayed phase-out of credits for hydrogen made from fossil fuels from 2030 to 2035 and a requirement that hydrogen dispensed at fueling stations be 80 percent renewable by 2030.
Sunflower oil, in addition to soybean and canola oil, would be included in a restriction that allows credits for only 20 percent of any company’s crop-based biofuels in the program. The proposal also specifies that if CARB creates a separate regulation for dairy methane emissions in the future, then dairy digester installations that break ground before 2029 can still receive LCFS credits for 20 to 30 years. Staff did not include jet fuel as a fuel that would be regulated under the program, despite a board discussion of the issue last month.
