California Air Resources Board Adopts New Regs to Reduce GHG from Fuels

Date: April 24, 2009
Source: California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Ednote: California’s Air Resources Board – has become probably the most powerful agency in the state. Post AB32, the Anti-Global Warming act, a whole new economy is taking shape under the guise of air regulations. Accompanying AB32 is AB375 an overlay of transportation and development that will affect all citizens of the state. From history we know many other states will emulate California’s lead. These regulations are acting as incentives for both the solar industry as well as alternative fuels.

April 24 -- The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a regulation April 23 that calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels by 10% by 2020.

The regulation aims to boost the market for alternative-fuel vehicles and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from vehicles by 16 million metric tons by 2020.

The regulation will reduce air pollution, create new jobs and help combat global warming, said Mary D. Nichols, the ARB chairwoman.

The board estimates biofuels companies will have to produce more than 1.5 billion gallons of biofuels annually to meet the goal, which would require construction of at least 25 new biofuel facilities and the creation of more than 3,000 jobs, mostly in rural areas of the state.

The measure calls for the new biofuels to be produced from sources that are less "carbon intensive" than traditional ethanol produced from corn or other food crops. Regulators expect the new generation of fuels to come from developing technology that produces fuel from algae, wood and agricultural waste, invasive weeks, and even from municipal solid waste.