California Gasoline Program

This page last last reviewed December 30, 2009

Background

The California Clean Air Act requires the ARB to adopt regulations that produce the most cost-effective combinations of control measures on motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuels. This directive led to many actions, including the Board approval of the Phase 2 California reformulated gasoline (CaRFG2) regulations in 1992. The CaRFG2 regulations set stringent standards for California gasoline that produced cost-effective emission reductions in new and in-use gasoline-powered vehicles. The regulations set specifications for the following eight fuel properties: sulfur, armoatics, oxygen, benznene, T50, T90, Olefins, and reid vapor pressure.

To comply with the oxygen content requirement, producers chose to use MTBE. Soon after CaRFG2 implementation, the presence of MTBE in groundwater began to be reported. An investigation and public hearings were conducted resulting in the issuance of Executive Order D-5-99 on March 25, 1999. The Executive Order directed the phase-out of MTBE in California's gasoline. In addition, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 989. Among other provisions, the bill directed the ARB to ensure that regulations adopted pursuant to the Executive Order maintain or improve upon emissions and air quality benefits achieved by CaRFG2 as of January 1, 1999 (Health and Safety Code section 43013.1).

In response to the Governor's and Legislature's directive, the Board approved the Phase 3 California refomulated gasoline (CaRFG3) regulations on December 9, 1999 and amended them on July 25, 2002. The CaRFG3 regulations prohibited California gasoline produced with MTBE starting December 31, 2003, established revised CaRFG3 standards, established a CaRFG3 Predictive Model, and made various other changes. The CaRFG3 regulations also placed a conditional ban, starting December 31, 2003, on the use of any oxygenate other than ethanol, as a replacement for MTBE in California gasoline. The current specifications for CaRFG3 are presented in Table 1 below.

What's New!

	Information on CARBOB Commingling Issues (PDF-20 KB) or (DOC-39KB)

	On August 29, 2008, the Office of Administrative Law approved the 2007 amendments to the Phase 3 California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations.

	Frequently Asked Questions about California Reformulated Gasoline

Current Regulations

Table 1: CaRFG3 Limits and Caps

Property	Flat Limits	Averaging Limits	Cap Limits ⁽¹⁾
Reid Vapor Pressure, psi, max	7.00 or 6.90⁽²⁾	--	6.40 - 7.20
Benzene Vol%, max	0.8	0.70	1.10
Sulfur, ppmw, max	20	15	30
Aromatic HC, vol%, max	25	22	35
Olefins, vol% max	6.0	4.0	10
Oxygen, wt%	1.8 to 2.2	--	1.8 ⁽³⁾ - 3.5 ⁽⁴⁾ 0 - 3.5
T50 (temp. at 50% distilled) ^oF, max	213	203	220
T90 (temp. at 90% distilled) ^oF, max	305	295	330

(1) The "cap limits" apply to all gasoline at any place in the marketing system and are not adjustable.

(2) 6.90 psi. applies when a producer is using the evaporative emissions element of CaRFG3 Predicitve Model and gasoline may not exceed a cap of 7.20 psi; otherwise, the 7.00 psi limit applies

(3) The 1.8 weight percent minimum applies only during the winter and only in certain areas

(4) If the gasoline contains more than 3.5 percent by weight oxygen from ethanol but no more than 10.0 volume percent ethanol, the maximum oxygen content cap is 3.7 percent by weight.

The complete California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations as of August 29, 2008 (PDF-648k) or (DOC-906k).

Predictive Model and Procedures Documents

Fuel Test Methods and Site-Specific Test Method Guidelines

Gasoline Programs

Phase 3 Reformulated Gasoline (CaRFG3 - Implemented 1999)

Phase 2 Reformulated Gasoline (CaRFG2 - Implemented 1996)

Phase 1 Reformulated Gasoline (CaRFG1 - Implemented 1992)

Federal and California Oxygenate Programs (Implemented 1992)

California Request for Oxygenates Waiver

Federal Reformulated Gasoline (FedRFG)

Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Requirements

Other Information

CaRFG3 Predictive Model Development: Information about development of the CaRFG3 Predictive Model

ARB response to the Western States Petroleum Association's Petition to Reconsider the California Air Resources Board's Approval of the 2007 Amendments to the Phase 3 California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations

Expert reviewer comments from Appendix D-4 of the Proposed 2007 Amendments to Phase 3 California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations, Staff Report: Initial Statement of Reasons (Harely PDF-119k) and (Rocke PDF- 35k)

Staff's interpretation of Health and Safety Code section 43013.1(b)(1), which was enacted by Senate Bill 989 in 1999. This interpretation applies to the applicability of section 43013.1(b)(1) to updates in California reformulated gasoline regulations, as well as to any future ARB regulations that might be developed relating to fuel formulations.

Deposit Control Additives

Fact Sheets and other publications related to:

Related Links

Current Gasoline / Diesel Price and Supply Status - California Energy Commission

CA Strategy to Reduce Petroleum Dependence (AB 2076) - Joint Report of CEC and ARB (August 2003).

If you have questions regarding this program, please contact the California Air Resources Board at (916) 322-6020. Click here for other rulemaking documents.

Fuels Program