The Washington Department of Ecology held a workshop on Thursday to discuss potential rule changes to the state’s Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) which was originally implemented on January 1, 2023. Ecology staff laid out the scope of this rulemaking which is expected to conclude with rule adoption by early 2025. The rulemaking will address the following topics:

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – align program rules with state legislation passed in 2023 that aims to expand use of SAF.
• Third-Party Verification – require fuel pathway applications and fuel transaction reports to be verified by accredited verification bodies. Ecology is looking to mirror similar programs in California and Oregon, where both programs are proposing to expand existing verification requirements to include EV charging. Ecology did not clarify whether verification would be required for EVs during the workshop.
• Expand ZEV infrastructure applicability – current rules allow for certain public fast-charging and hydrogen refueling stations to generate CFS credits based in part on station fueling capacity and not solely on the quantity of fueling. Ecology is considering expanding the current rules to allow for medium and heavy-duty infrastructure to be eligible as well. The California Air Resources Board has proposed a similar expansion of ZEV infrastructure crediting for their Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Ecology also indicated that the current ZEV infrastructure program will soon be implemented.
• Book-and-claim accounting – Ecology staff propose to update accounting methods for biomethane and electricity.

Ecology clarified that changes to carbon intensity targets and program participation fees would not be considered during this rulemaking.

Public comments from this initial workshop may be submitted by March 24. Ecology will schedule additional workshops in the spring and begin publishing draft rules this summer. Ecology aims to hold a public hearing to consider rule changes in the fall or winter.