Lower-Carbon Gasoline In CA: Don't Believe Gas-Price Scare Tactics, Says UCS

When it comes to green transportation policies, California leads the way.

The state has enacted numerous policies to cut transportation-related emissions, improve energy efficiency, and in some cases eliminate the use of fossil fuel.

One such policy--the state's Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, or LCFS--is not sitting well with oil companies, which claim the regulation will raise the price of gasoline, harming consumers.

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Now the LCFS has received a ringing endorsement from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which is attempting to add some context to the fears of higher gasoline prices for Californians and sticker shock at the pump.

A new report (pdf) by the group claims that concerns about rising gas prices are overblown, saying any increases in transportation costs will be offset by savings from decreased oil consumption.

Analysts looked at the anticipated costs of the California policies, and concluded that the average consumer will still save money by using less fuel.

According to the UCS analysis, a California driver who purchases a new car in 2015 will save an average of $3.90 a week on gas costs compared to a driver who purchased a new vehicle in 2008, before many current standards took effect.

California Assembly Bill 32--which seeks to lower global-warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020 through mandatory emissions reporting and other regulations--did not take effect until late that year.

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