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Fuels Program
This page last reviewed August 31, 2011
Background
The
ARB is authorized to adopt standards, rules and regulations to achieve
the maximum degree of emission reduction possible from vehicular
and other mobile sources in order to accomplish the attainment of the
state ambient air quality standards at the earliest practicable date.
The Health and Safety Code directed the Board, no later than
January 1, 1992, to take whatever actions are necessary,
cost-effective and technologically feasible in order to achieve by
December 31, 2000, a reduction in reactive organic gases
of at least 55 percent and at least a 15 percent reduction in
the emissions of oxides of nitrogen from motor vehicles, and
the maximum feasible reductions in particulate matter,
carbon monoxide, and toxic air contaminants from vehicular
sources.
The ARB's fuels effort is made up of several
components which broadly fall into two categories:
(1) adopting and enforcing fuel specifications, and (2)
controlling emissions from marketing and distributing
fuels in California. The ARB also has developed a wide
variety of general information about California refineries. For
example, the ARB has compiled information on California refinery emergency response and outreach
programs and has developed an assessment of refineries emissions
related to the production of CaRFG2. ARB staff has also completed an assessment
of air district civil penalties for violations air pollution control regulations at refineries, as well as, provided other information and links
on California refineries.
Executive Order S-1-07, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) (issued on January
18, 2007), calls for a reduction of at least 10 percent in the carbon intensity
of California's transportation fuels by 2020. It instructed the California
Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate activities between the University
of California, the California Energy Commission and other state agencies to
develop and propose a draft compliance schedule to meet the 2020 target.
Furthermore, it directed ARB to consider initiating a regulatory proceedings to
establish and implement the LCFS. In response, ARB identified the LCFS as an
early action item with a regulation to be adopted and implemented by 2010.
The ARB also adopts standards for vehicular liquefied petroleum gas and other
alternative fuels sold commercially in California (CNG, LNG, Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel, E85) for motor vehicle use and for
fuel used in certification testing of new motor vehicles
Please consider joining one or more of the ARB's Fuels-related e-lists.
