How the State Benefits from Expanding Its Use of Locally Produced, Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels

The document highlights that transportation accounts for 43 percent of Washington's global warming pollution. It advocates for a clean fuel standard to transition from imported petroleum to locally produced low-carbon alternatives, including electric vehicles (EVs), biomethane, and various biofuels. The report emphasizes the economic benefits of keeping fuel spending within the state and the potential for Washington to lead in sustainable aviation fuels.

• Transportation is the primary source of global warming pollution in Washington, accounting for 43 percent of the state's emissions, mostly from petroleum-based fuels.
• In 2016, Washington residents and businesses spent $11 billion on more than 5 billion gallons of petroleum-based transportation fuels.
• Electric vehicles (EVs) offer significant cost savings and lower emissions in Washington due to a relatively clean electricity grid, where only a quarter of power generation comes from coal and gas.
• Washington has significant potential for low-carbon biofuel production, including 20 million gallons of biodiesel from used cooking oil or animal fat and 300 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel annually from woody wastes and agricultural residues.
• Biomethane from landfills, wastewater, and animal manure could potentially replace up to 8 percent of Washington's total natural gas use.
• A clean fuel standard is proposed as a technology-neutral policy to reduce life cycle carbon emissions, provide financial support for electric buses, and prevent the loss of innovation to other states like California.
• Washington is positioned to lead in sustainable aviation fuels through partnerships like the Port of Seattle's collaboration with 13 airlines and research by Washington State University and the University of Washington.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). How the State Benefits from Expanding Its Use of Locally Produced, Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/11/Clean%2520Fuels%2520for%2520Washingtion%25202018_web_final.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. How the State Benefits from Expanding Its Use of Locally Produced, Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/11/Clean%2520Fuels%2520for%2520Washingtion%25202018_web_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=How the State Benefits from Expanding Its Use of Locally Produced, Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels |date=November 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/11/Clean%2520Fuels%2520for%2520Washingtion%25202018_web_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018how, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{How the State Benefits from Expanding Its Use of Locally Produced, Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/11/Clean%2520Fuels%2520for%2520Washingtion%25202018_web_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }