The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said today that in its shift away from polluting fuel sources, clean fuels are replacing more than 50% of the diesel used in the state during Q1 of 2023. The awakened Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a regulation which requires fuel producers to reduce the carbon intensity of fuel sold in the state, is largely responsible for the shift by encouraging the use and production of cleaner alternatives.

“As technological advances put a zero-emissions future within reach, the use of cleaner fuels offers an essential tool to reduce pollution now,” said CARB Executive Officer, Dr. Steven Cliff. “A 50% reduction in diesel means cleaner air, healthier communities and a commitment to reaching carbon neutrality in California by 2045.”

Compliance with the LCFS began in 2011. The program is designed to lower the carbon intensity in fuels by assessing each step in their production, from extraction to combustion. If a fuel has a carbon intensity above that baseline it generates a deficit for the producer. If the intensity is below the baseline it can generate credits which may then be sold to a producer who has a deficit.