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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/24/2024 05:15 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=40090
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: March 6, 2023 04:36 PM
From: Senator Gene Yaw and Sen. Scott Martin
To: All Senate members
Subject: Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
 
Soon, we intend to introduce legislation that will establish a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) for Pennsylvania.
 
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report states that the transportation sector accounts for 22% of the total GHG emissions in the Commonwealth. The use of low carbon fuels has been proven to be effective in achieving significant emissions reductions from the transportation sector.
 
Low carbon fuels do not exclude any specific type of transportation fuel and includes fuel types such as biofuels from renewable natural gas (ie. manure, landfill gas, wastewater, food waste, etc), renewable diesel, ethanol, EV, etc. These fuels, used on their own or blended with traditional gasoline and diesel, can be used in passenger vehicles, school buses, transit systems, garbage trucks and other types of motor vehicles. Renewable diesel, biodiesel, renewable propane and renewable natural gas can also be used as a heating fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial buildings.

 A LCFS is a proven structure that establishes benchmarks and is trackable and familiar to the industry participants. A Pennsylvania LCFS is not a tax that would be used to create new spending programs, rather it would be credit trading transactions between private sector participants that is monitored and overseen by the Commonwealth. Other states including California, Oregon, and Washington have implemented similar concepts.  
 
By advancing a Pennsylvania LCFS we have the opportunity to beneficially reuse waste, make emissions reductions within the transportation sector, and grow in-state industries to produce low carbon fuels rather than allowing those production industries to be created in other states. 
 
We hope that you will join us in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation.