Putting a (Green) Thumb on the Scale: Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector Will Require Policies that Support Specific Technologies

The author contends that 'technology neutral' policies like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) are insufficient because the transportation sector is not a level playing field; incumbent fuels benefit from existing infrastructure and conversion technologies. To achieve full decarbonization, the author recommends that Congress implement a zero carbon fuel standard with a carbon intensity requirement that declines to zero by mid-century and provide direct support for electricity and hydrogen-based fuels.

• The transportation sector is not a level playing field because incumbent fuels, such as liquid hydrocarbons and conventional biofuels, benefit from existing conversion technologies like internal combustion engines and established infrastructure including refineries and pipelines.
• Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) policies may inadvertently favor incumbents and hinder the transition to zero-emission transport because they reward immediate carbon intensity reductions, making investments in compatible existing technologies less risky than those requiring new propulsion and distribution networks.
• Conventional land-intensive biofuels, such as corn ethanol, are viewed as incompatible with full decarbonization goals; some experts cited in a 2019 US Government Accountability Office report questioned if corn ethanol's lifecycle GHG emissions are even 20% lower than gasoline's.
• To achieve zero emissions, the author recommends that Congress design a fuel standard with a carbon intensity reduction requirement that reaches zero by mid-century and provide direct support for hydrogen-based fuels and electricity.

APA

Lewis, J. (2020). Putting a (Green) Thumb on the Scale: Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector Will Require Policies that Support Specific Technologies. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2020/07/putting-a-green-thumb-on-the-scale/

Chicago

Lewis, Jonathan. Putting a (Green) Thumb on the Scale: Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector Will Require Policies that Support Specific Technologies. Clean Air Task Force, 2020. https://www.catf.us/2020/07/putting-a-green-thumb-on-the-scale/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lewis |first1=Jonathan |title=Putting a (Green) Thumb on the Scale: Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector Will Require Policies that Support Specific Technologies |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=23 July 2020 |url=https://www.catf.us/2020/07/putting-a-green-thumb-on-the-scale/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lewis2020putting, author = {Lewis, Jonathan}, title = {{Putting a (Green) Thumb on the Scale: Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector Will Require Policies that Support Specific Technologies}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.catf.us/2020/07/putting-a-green-thumb-on-the-scale/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }