CARB (California Air Resources Board)

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the state agency within the California Environmental Protection Agency that administers the state's air-quality programs, including the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Cap-and-Trade Program, the Advanced Clean Cars rules, the Heavy-Duty Omnibus regulation, and the Innovative Clean Transit rule. CARB is the principal sub-national regulator of fuel greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the United States.

Statutory and regulatory authority

CARB's authority derives from the California Health and Safety Code sections 39000–44483 and from a series of executive and legislative mandates including Assembly Bill 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006), Senate Bill 32 (2016 GHG reduction targets), and Senate Bill 905 (2022 carbon-removal rulemaking authority). The board itself is composed of voting members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate.

Programs administered by CARB

The transportation-fuel programs most relevant to the U.S. biofuels sector are:

• Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) — fuel-pool CI reduction program codified at 17 CCR 95480–95503
• Cap-and-Trade Program — economy-wide GHG-emissions cap with auctioned allowances, codified at 17 CCR 95800–96022
• Heavy-Duty Vehicle GHG Phase 2 — heavy-truck GHG standards aligned with EPA federal rules
• Advanced Clean Cars II — light-duty zero-emission vehicle sales requirements through 2035

Pathway certification process

For LCFS, CARB administers the carbon-intensity (CI) pathway certification process. Fuel producers seeking to supply California must obtain a CARB-certified CI score for each feedstock-process- facility combination. The process is set out in 17 CCR 95488 and involves a Tier 1 simplified calculator for established pathways or a Tier 2 detailed pathway for novel fuels. CARB's pathway library is the public registry of certified pathways.

Linkage with Quebec and Washington

California's cap-and-trade program is linked with Quebec's parallel program; allowances issued by either jurisdiction can be used in either market. LCFS, however, is not formally linked with Oregon's Clean Fuels Program (DEQ CFP) or Washington's Clean Fuel Standard (Ecology CFS) — each runs an independent credit market with separate trajectories, although the program designs share a common framework.

CARB rulemaking cadence

CARB conducts public rulemakings in two main forms: regulatory updates to existing programs (LCFS amendment cycles, cap-and-trade auction changes) and new program adoptions (Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Fleets). Each rulemaking includes a 45-day public comment period under California's Administrative Procedure Act, a board hearing, and final approval by the Office of Administrative Law. The CARB Public Records Search and the agency's rulemaking calendar are the public references for tracking active proceedings.

Public data resources

CARB publishes a range of program data through its dashboards and reporting tools. The LCFS Data Dashboard provides quarterly credit generation, deficit generation, and credit-bank balances. The Weekly LCFS Credit Transfer Activity Report provides the public credit-price reference. The Cap-and-Trade Program publishes auction results and compliance reports under 17 CCR 95913–95914. All public reporting is posted on arb.ca.gov.

Historical context

CARB was established under the Mulford-Carrell Act of 1967 as a unified successor to several prior California air-quality bodies. The agency's role expanded substantially after AB 32's passage in 2006, which made California the first U.S. jurisdiction to adopt an economy-wide GHG cap. Subsequent state legislation has expanded CARB's authority into transportation electrification, methane oversight, and carbon-removal program design.

Coordination with U.S. EPA

CARB programs operate alongside U.S. EPA programs but are governed by different statutory authorities. The federal Renewable Fuel Standard (EPA, 40 CFR Part 80 Subpart M) applies in California and the rest of the U.S. as a federal floor; LCFS layers an additional state requirement on top. A gallon of biodiesel sold into California typically generates both a federal D4 RIN and an LCFS credit. The two markets are operationally distinct: D4 RINs are used to satisfy federal RVO; LCFS credits are used to satisfy state CI obligations. The same physical gallon participates in both markets.

Sources

California Health and Safety Code §§ 39000–44483. AB 32 (2006 Global Warming Solutions Act). SB 32 (2016 GHG targets). SB 905 (2022 carbon removal). LCFS at 17 CCR 95480–95503. Cap-and-Trade at 17 CCR 95800–96022. Public data on arb.ca.gov.