Story ID: 
California Fuel Proposals Draw Industry Opposition
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Proposals would regulate jet fuel and ban leaded avgas
Word Count: 316
Aviation advocates are protesting proposals in California to regulate jet fuel and ban leaded aviation gasoline. 
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is proposing to remove the exemption for jet fuel from the state’s Low Carb Fuel Standard Limit (LCFS) program. LCSF establishes “carbon intensity” standards that are designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
But in a letter to CARB officials, industry groups argue that the proposal will serve only to increase the cost of jet fuel without increasing the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and further would preempt federal authority.
“We encourage CARB to withdraw the proposal to regulate jet fuel and instead establish a joint CARB-industry working group to explore alternative solutions to increase SAF production and use,” said the letter from NBAA, GAMA, NATA, and seven other aviation and aerospace organizations and companies.
The groups pointed to the commitment of the aviation industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the belief that a transition to SAF is a key avenue toward that goal. “We have long recognized that scaling up the supply of SAF and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 can only happen by working collaboratively with governments and other stakeholders across sectors.”
Phil Derner, NBAA’s regional director for the Western region, added, “We urge CARB to work in partnership with the industry to achieve our common objectives.”
Meanwhile, NATA further objected to a bill introduced in the California Senate that would phase out the distribution and sale of leaded avgas beginning in 2026. Initially, the ban would apply to disadvantaged communities or cities of at least 700,000 on Jan. 1, 2026. Beginning in 2028, the ban would expand to airports and retail establishments next to an urban growth boundary, and in 2030, it would apply statewide.
The bill calls for a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day.