A Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for California Part 1: Technical Analysis

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was signed by California Governor Schwarzenegger as Executive Order S-1-07, calling for a statewide goal of reducing the carbon intensity of California's transportation fuels by at least ten percent by 2020. It also ordered the coordination of activities between the University of California, the California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the California Public Utility Commission (PUC) to develop and propose a draft compliance schedule to meet the 2020 Target. This report is the first of two and it focuses on the technical aspects of regulating the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. The study assesses the low-carbon fuels options that might be used in meeting the proposed standard. It evaluates multiple compliance pathways for an LCFS by presenting a number of scenarios for fuel mixes that might meet a 5, 10, and 15 percent standard. The report first presents brief descriptions of the key methods used in this study, focusing on the VISION model and the practice of life cycle assessment. It then presents brief descriptions of some of the fuels that might be used in complying with the LCFS. The report then discusses the potential for the production of these fuels in California. Finally, it presents the scenarios that were explored with the VISION model. Part 2, a separate document, addresses the regulatory design and various policy issues of the LCFS.

• Record URL:
  http://repositories.cdlib.org/its/tsrc/UCB-ITS-TSRC-RR-2007-2/
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/160069728
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Berkeley

  Transportation Sustainability Research Center
  Richmond Field Station, 1301 South 46th Street, Building 190
  Richmond, CA  United States  94804-4648

  University of California, Davis

  Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies
  Davis, CA  United States  95616

  University of California, Berkeley

  Berkeley, CA  United States  94720-1720
• Authors:
  • Farrell, Alexander E
  • Sperling, Daniel
• Publication Date: 2007-5-29

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: v.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biomass fuels; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Energy conservation; Energy resources; Environmental quality; Exhaust gases; Fuel substitution; Greenhouse gases; Life cycle analysis; Motor fuels; Pollutants
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01056128
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Report/Paper Numbers: UCB-ITS-TSRC-RR-2007-2
• Files: CALTRANS, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 30 2007 3:34PM