California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was originally adopted in 2009 and became effective in 2011. It is administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The LCFS applies to fuels used for transportation, including gasoline and diesel and their alternatives. The goal of the program is to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of the transportation fuel pool in California. On November 8, 2024, the CARB Board approved amendments to update and extend the CI reduction schedule for the LCFS. The amendments set targets to reduce the CI of the transportation fuel pool in California by 30% in 2030 and 90% by 2045. This adjusted CI-reduction schedule kicked off with a 9% additional step-down on July 1, 2025 – bringing the 2025 CI reduction target to 22.75% for the second half of 2025 – then stepping down to 24.20% for 2026.
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