ARB staff posts CA-GREET 2.0 for public comment; to be model for LCFS CIs

3 December 2014

California Air Resources Board staff has posted for public feedback an updated preliminary draft of the California-modified Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation, Version 2.0 model (CA-GREET 2.0). Staff will propose to the Board in February 2015 that a final draft of GREET 2.0 will be the model that must be used to calculate direct fuel pathway carbon intensities (CIs) for the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

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The LCFS requires the reduction of the carbon intensity of fuels
sold in California by 10% by 2020.

Staff will propose that version 2.0 replace version 1.8b of the model, which was originally designated as the model to be used for estimating direct life cycle emissions from the production, transport and use of transportation fuels by the LCFS upon its approval in 2009. Feedback on this draft of the CA-GREET 2.0 model will be accepted
until 15 December.

Aside from many data-level changes, staff added a new worksheet to the model that allows applicants for new first-generation fuel pathways to quickly calculate the carbon intensities (CIs) of those pathways. First- and second-generation fuels are referred to as “Tier 1,” and “Tier 2” fuels, respectively, in the proposed regulation. The new first-generation fuel calculator, therefore, is called the “Tier 1 Calculator” in the model. The difference between first-generation and innovative/next-generation fuels is easily ascertained from the model: fuels not included in the fuel selection drop-down list in the Tier 1 calculator are in the Tier 2 category.

CA-GREET 2.0 is based on GREET1 2013 from Argonne National
Laboratory. The changes made to GREET1 2013 were made in close
consultation with staff at Argonne. Ongoing consultation with
Argonne, along with the feedback received from stakeholders, will
culminate in the posting of a final draft of the CA-GREET 2.0
model by the end of December.