The California Senate has unanimously passed a bill to allow the sale of a cheaper gasoline blend, potentially lowering prices in the state where fuel costs are the highest in the nation.
The measure, AB 30, cleared the chamber in a unanimous 39–0 vote on Sept 3. It now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, where, if signed, it will allow California to join the other 49 states in permitting E15, a blend of around 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol.
Sponsored by Assemblymembers David Alvarez and Heath Flora, who are both members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus, the bill would allow E15 sales immediately, even while the California Air Resources Board (CARB) completes a rulemaking process started in 2018. The Board is evaluating E15’s compliance with the state’s air quality and fuel standards, a process delayed by technical studies and regulatory hurdles….