Calif. approves nation’s first low-carbon fuel rules; oil and ethanol industries seek delays

Calif. approves nation’s 1st low-carbon fuel rule

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California air regulators have adopted the nation’s first mandate for low-carbon fuels, a major step in the state’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The standards approved Thursday by the California Air Resources Board are expected to create a new market for alternative fuels and set the stage for a national debate.

Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols says California decided that petroleum was not “the only game in town.”

The action comes as Congress is debating a national climate bill that features a low-carbon fuel standard modeled after California’s. President Barack Obama also has supported the idea.

California’s standard calls for cutting the carbon content of the fuels sold in California by 10 percent by 2020. The ethanol and petroleum industries criticized the rule.