The California Air Resources Board has now adopted regulation in Governor Schwarzenegger’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard which calls for at least a 10 per cent reduction in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels from 2006 levels by 2020.
The Air Resources Board will study the indirect effects of transportation fuels with an ongoing investigation outlined to evaluate land use and other indirect effects.
When fully implemented the regulation could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 15million metric tons a year. The new regulation aims to diversify the use of fuels for transportation and boost the market for alternative fuel vehicles. According to the Air Resources Board, in order to meet the targets, around 25 new biofuel facilities will need to be built along with the creation of around 3,000 new jobs in the state’s rural areas.
The new generation of fuels is expected to come from technology that uses algae, wood, agricultural waste, common invasive weeds and even municipal solid waste.
The Air Resources Board also expects the standard to drive the availability of plug-in hybrid battery electric and fuel cell cars as well as promoting electric car and hydrogen recharging and refuelling stations.
