New Policy Brief on West Coast Low Carbon Transportation Fuel Programs

by | Mar 28, 2019 | Transportation

March 28, 2019

The transportation system on the Pacific Coast accounts for at least 40% of regional greenhouse gas emissions. Using cleaner fuels in transportation is an important strategy to meet the region’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% over the next 30 years. British Columbia, California, and Oregon have programs in place that are creating a market for low carbon-intensity fuels. Together, these jurisdictions are collaborating on best practices for program design and implementation, and policy alignment to create an integrated West Coast market for clean, low-carbon fuels.

The PCC jurisdictions released a policy brief explaining each of the state and provinces’ policies and highlighting the success of collaborative efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels across the region. Key highlights:

  • Under low carbon fuel standards in British Columbia, Oregon, and California, alternative fuels have provided the transportation energy equivalent of 9 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.
  • The use of alternative fuels in place of fossil fuels has resulted in nearly 53 million metric tons fewer greenhouse gas emissions[1] on the West Coast, according to the most recent data from each program, an amount equivalent to removing 11 million passenger cars from the road for an entire year.[2]
  • Credits generated by the low carbon fuel standards are boosting the market for electric vehicles. California and Oregon have sold more than 528,000 battery electric vehicles through December 2018. The proceeds from credit sales in California fund EV rebate programs, electric buses in transit fleets, charging stations, and can be applied to lower the cost of charging.[3]

Read more in the brief, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation Fuel with Low Carbon Fuel Standards.

[1] Includes 2 MMT from Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program through Q3 2018 (program data), 43 MMT from California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program through Q3 2018 (program data), and 7.7 MMT from British Columbia’s Renewable and Low Carbon Fuels Regulation through Q4 2017 (program data).

[2] Calculated using EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator (https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator); the equivalent GHG emissions of 53 MMT carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent.

[3] Auto Alliance, (n.d.). Advanced Technology Vehicle Sales Dashboard. Retrieved March 22, 2019, from https://autoalliance.org/energy-environment/advanced-technology-vehicle-sales-dashboard/.