by Kara Gundel (Engine Technology Forum) As the nation works to unleash American energy, one fact is becoming impossible to ignore: renewable biofuels are delivering real benefits today – and state clean fuel policies are a major reason.
Today, three states (California, Oregon, and Washington) operate full clean fuel standard programs, while New Mexico’s program has been adopted and is underway. Colorado and Minnesota are actively exploring a clean fuel standard as part of their statewide emissions roadmaps, and states such as New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are also considering legislation. This momentum aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order on Strengthening American Biofuels and Domestic Energy Production, which reaffirmed the importance of homegrown fuels, American farmers, and a diversified energy mix. State clean fuel standards are one of the most effective tools for turning that national direction into practical, on the ground results.
Washington State’s recent success with its Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) shows what happens when policy aligns with technological readiness and market demand. In its first full year, its Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) is a powerful example of what happens when policy aligns with technological readiness.
Washington’s Clean Fuel Standard Is Delivering Results
Washington’s CFS program, modeled closely on the successful Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) in California and Oregon, was enacted in 2021 and launched in 2023. This program requires transportation fuels to become progressively cleaner over time, and the results have been immediate. The CFS eliminated an estimated 2 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2023 at a cost of less than 1 cent per gallon of gasoline. This is equivalent to removing nearly 450,000 cars from the road or eliminating emissions from one of the state’s largest refineries.
In 2025, building on the program’s initial success, state lawmakers amended the CFS, increasing the required reduction in carbon intensity from 20% to 45% by 2038. The results are clear: fuel suppliers are responding, producers are investing, and fleets are adopting cleaner fuels without needing to replace engines or overhaul infrastructure. Consumers are also benefiting from a more diverse and resilient fuel supply.
Washington’s early progress mirrors what California and Oregon have demonstrated for years: when states set clear, long‑term carbon‑intensity reduction targets, the private sector steps up with innovation, investment, and deployment.
California and Oregon Proved the Model – Washington Is Accelerating It
California’s LCFS – the longest running program of its type – has been operating for more than a decade. Since it launched in 2011, the program is on track for a 30% reduction in transportation fuel carbon intensity by 2030. It has also generated millions of tons of carbon‑intensity reductions and driven tens of billions of dollars in private investment. Renewable diesel alone generated 4.6 million LCFS credits in 2020, more than any other fuel. In the most recent quarter, the LCFS produced 245,482 metric tons of net credits, highlighting a large and active clean fuels market.
Oregon followed with its own Clean Fuels Program, steadily increasing the use of low‑carbon fuels while maintaining fuel reliability and consumer choice. Since its launch in 2015, the program has delivered over 7 million tons of cumulative greenhouse gas reductions, measured in avoided CO₂‑equivalent emissions.
By adopting a similar policy structure – and strengthening its targets through recent legislative updates – the West Coast is becoming a more unified regional market, encouraging producers to scale up renewable fuel production and distribution across state lines. This regional alignment matters: it reduces compliance complexity, stabilizes credit markets, and gives producers confidence that demand for low‑carbon fuels will continue to grow.
Renewable Biofuels Deliver Carbon Reductions Now
Renewable biofuels reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions today, not years from now. They serve as drop-in replacements for petroleum fuels in existing engines – from long‑haul trucks to farm equipment to municipal fleets – without requiring new fueling infrastructure.
According to a recent report from Washington, the program is exceeding expectations, delivering immediate reductions in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and providing a practical pathway for sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as long-haul trucking, agriculture, and municipal fleets
State clean fuel standards amplify these benefits by making low‑carbon fuels not just available but economically competitive. Without such policies, renewable fuels must compete against conventional fuels that do not reflect their true environmental cost. With these standards in place, the market can finally recognize and reward lower‑carbon performance.
Policy Certainty Unlocks Private‑Sector Innovation
Renewable fuel producers, engine manufacturers, and fleets are ready to scale up their use of low‑carbon fuels. What they need is certainty – and state clean fuel standards provide exactly that.
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A Practical, Balanced Path Forward
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