SARAMENTO
California’s new low carbon fuel standard has been stalled because it lacks ‘clarity.’
In a surprising twist, California’s controversial new fuel standard — a key part of its effort to replace fossil fuels — has been rejected by the state agency that reviews the legality of state regulations.
The fuel standard enacted by the Air Resources Board last year was the subject of a rancorous debate, largely because it will potentially increase the price of gasoline and diesel fuels by an unknown amount.
The rules were rejected by the state Office of Administrative Law, a state agency whose mandate is to ensure “regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public.” The law office informed the air board that the rule does not conform with a provision in state code that requires “clarity” in rulemaking “so that the meaning of regulations will be easily understood by those persons directly affected by them.”
The air board said it would review the order and then resubmit the rules, which would be required within 120 days. Any substantial changes, however, would require a delay, including a public comment period.
The low carbon fuels program, which offers financial incentives to companies to produce cleaner transportation fuels, aims to help transition the state away from fossil fuels that contribute to smog and other air pollution and greenhouse gases that warm the planet.
The program, which has existed since 2011, is a $2-billion credit trading system that requires fuels sold in California to become progressively cleaner, while giving companies financial incentives to produce less-polluting fuels, such as biofuels made from soybeans or cow manure.
In an initial assessment released in 2023, the air board projected that the new rules could potentially raise the price of diesel by 59 cents per gallon and gasoline by 47 cents. But air board officials later disavowed that estimate, saying that the analysis “should not be misconstrued as a prediction of the future credit price nor as a direct impact on prices at the pump.”
A report by the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy predicted that the fuel standard changes could increase the cost of gas by 85 cents a gallon through 2030.
Republican legislators, who protested the rule and introduced a bill to repeal it, applauded the law office’s decision to reject them.
“Families in this state are already grappling with soaring living costs, and a gas price hike of 65 cents or more will only deepen their financial strain,” Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, a Republican from Redlands, said in a statement. “It’s deeply frustrating that the governor’s administration ignored calls for reconsideration from the start.”
Supporters say the new rules are necessary to keep California on track for its ambitious climate goals, including net-zero emissions by 2045. But critics have warned that the new standards could push gas prices even higher in a state where drivers already pay some of the highest fuel costs in the nation.
The air board last month was forced to abandon other climate and air pollution rules that would have cleaned up truck and train emissions because the Trump administration would reject granting them waivers.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Major roadwork scheduled through Thursday, February 27
The following scheduled roadwork has been verified at the time of release. Please keep in mind work is weather permitting and subject to change. For updates to this list, visit: QuickMap at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov, check the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at https://roads.dot.ca.gov or call
1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623). For information pertaining to emergency roadwork, check QuickMap and the CHIN.
Route 20 (1.1/2.4) – Construction work from Blue Lakes Road to Irvine Avenue will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Motorists should anticipate up to 15-minute delays.
Route 20 (28.4/28.7) – Utility work in Clearlake Oaks from Hoover Street to High Valley Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect and motorists should expect minor slowdowns in the area.
Route 175 (16.6) – Utility work at Adams Springs Drive will occur on Thursday, February 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Motorists should expect up to 5-minute delays.
Route 175 (26.5) – Utility work at Dry Creek Cutoff will begin on Wednesday, February 26. Lane Closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and motorists should expect minor slowdowns.
—Submitted
