In response to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) approval of the 2022 Scoping Plan, Nicole Rice, President of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, made the following statement:

“The California Air Resources Board has approved an ambitious climate action plan to achieve statewide carbon neutrality by 2045. While we appreciate that the 2022 Scoping Plan continues to acknowledge the importance of dairy, swine and landfill methane reduction projects, we are disappointed that it fails to identify a broader mix of renewable fuels use for transportation, especially the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) in heavy-duty vehicles. These heavy-duty engines are certified by CARB as 90% cleaner than diesel and RNG is the only negative carbon intensity fuel under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. 

The fact that the Plan lacks a comprehensive strategy for capturing near-term emission reductions and fails to prioritize the use of RNG-fueled trucks to immediately displace diesel trucks is a missed opportunity. Trucks powered by RNG are not only cost-effective but readily available today and supported by infrastructure funded by private investments.

RNG must continue to be incentivized for end-use in heavy-duty trucks to clean our air and reduce carbon emissions. We look forward to working with CARB on implementing the 2022 Scoping Plan and promoting the use of biomethane and other renewable fuels to further decarbonize the transportation sector.”