Background

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was adopted in California in 2009 to contribute to state greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). The program incentivizes adoption of low-carbon transportation fuels based on the fuel’s assessed lifecycle GHG emissions per unit of energy—or carbon intensity (CI) as rated by the program. The regulation initially laid out annually declining CI benchmarks for the average transportation fuel mix from 2011 through 2020. British Columbia (BC) adopted a similar program (the BC-LCFS) that came into effect in 2011, and Oregon followed with its Clean Fuels Program (CFP) in 2016, each setting targets going out a decade. In September 2018, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted regulatory amendments to extend the LCFS with a target of 20% CI reduction from 2010 levels by 2030, and additional regulatory action setting LCFS targets beyond 2030 is expected in 2023.  BC later also set a 20% CI reduction target for 2030.  Oregon is currently engaged in setting CFP targets for 2030 and beyond. 

The periodic status review series provides updates on "LCFS" program compliance and markets, and addresses selected special topics. Each report reviews data, analyzes trends, and identifies potential challenges. The series began with a focus on California, and has since expanded to other jurisdictions and multi-jurisdiction comparisons.

Latest Issues

Previous Issues