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Senate Committee Hears SB 2 to Roll Back CARB LCFS Amendments; Measure Fails Committee Vote
Summary
Sen. Shannon Jones introduced SB 2 to undo CARB’s November amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, saying the rules were rushed and could raise pump prices by about $0.65 per gallon; utilities, renewable‑fuel groups and air‑quality advocates opposed the bill.
Sen. Shannon Jones introduced Senate Bill 2 to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee seeking to void a set of LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard) regulatory amendments adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in November.
Supporters told the committee the rulemaking was rushed and economically harmful. “If CARB can't do the math, they shouldn't be writing the regulations,” Sen. Jones said, and cited an independent analysis estimating the November changes could increase retail gasoline prices by as much as $0.65 per gallon. Augie Venezia (Fairfax Lumber and Hardware) and other small‑business witnesses said higher fuel costs and reduced equipment performance harm rural and small‑business operators.
Opponents — including the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association, the California Electric Transportation Coalition, utilities and renewable‑fuel stakeholders — urged the committee to reject SB 2. Michael Bocadoro of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association said LCFS and other market mechanisms “allow for compliance with our climate policies in a way that is far cheaper than direct regulation.” Laura Ringer of the California Electric Transportation Coalition told the committee LCFS has catalyzed billions in investment and that “concerns about gasoline price impacts from the LCFS are overstated.” Several utilities and hydrogen and RNG coalitions also testified in opposition.
Members questioned whether the bill would undo the LCFS program or only the November amendments. Sen. Jones repeatedly said SB 2 targets only the regulatory amendments CARB adopted late on a holiday weekend and is not intended to repeal LCFS itself. Opponents countered the November amendments were needed to preserve the program's effectiveness and that removing them could depress credit prices and undermine funding for EV incentives and other programs.
After member debate the committee took a roll call. The motion to pass SB 2 to the Appropriations Committee failed in committee at the final count recorded in the hearing (the clerk announced the bill failed on the committee floor record).
