Monday, January 29, 2024

Oregon proposes updates to Clean Fuels Program

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking approval from the Environmental Quality Commission on amended proposed rule that would prepare the state’s Clean Fuels Program in advance of the compliance year beginning on Jan. 1, 2016.

The DEQ is accepting public comment on the proposed regulations until Oct. 21, and will answer questions on and explain the rule at a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 19 at its headquarters in Portland.

The Clean Fuels Program aims to reduce the carbon content of transportation fuels sold in Oregon by 10 percent over the next 10 years by encouraging production of alternative fuels such as lower-carbon ethanol and biodiesel, electricity, natural gas, biogas and propane. 

The rule would update OR-GREET 2.0, which is the state’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Transportation model, incorporating Indirect Land Use Change and updating petroleum fuels to include Oil Production Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimator. The rule also would update the baseline and compliance curve, and add new exemptions to the carbon intensity pathway approval process.