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Clean Fuel Standard requirements for participation

As of Jan. 1, 2023, producers and suppliers of high-carbon-intensity fuels must register, report, and meet the requirements of the Clean Fuel Standard program. Producers and suppliers of low-carbon-intensity fuels may opt in and meet the requirements to generate credits.

Information on this page will help you meet the requirements:

Who needs to register

Producers and suppliers of regulated fuels to Washington consumers must participate and register in the Washington Fuels Reporting System. Regulated fuels include:

  • Gasoline
  • Diesel
  • Ethanol and blends
  • Biomass-based diesel and blends
  • Fossil compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid natural gas (LNG), and liquid-compressed natural gas (L-CNG)
  • Propane, liquified petroleum gas
  • Hydrogen, compressed or liquified
  • Any other liquid or non-liquid fuel

Producers of low carbon fuels may participate and need to register. Low carbon fuels include:

  • Electricity
  • Bio-CNG, bio-LNG, or bio-L-CNG
  • Alternative jet fuel

Producers of regulated and exempt fuels must register in the Washington Fuels Reporting System and report those fuel transactions to Ecology. Exempt fuel will not generate deficits.

Exempt fuels include:

  • Aviation fuel
  • Marine fuel
  • Railroad fuel
  • Offroad fuel used for agriculture, logging, mining, and other activities

Refer to the guidance: Participant Guidance on Documenting Exempt Fuels: Clean Fuel Standard Program Guidance

Registration

Registration for the Clean Fuel Standard program opened on Jan. 1, 2023. We developed the Washington Fuels Reporting System (WFRS) to manage all data and processes related to Clean Fuel Standard implementation, including:

  • Fuel pathway certification
  • Fuel transactions reporting and recordkeeping
  • Credit generation and transfers

The Washington Fuels Reporting System (WFRS) includes these modules:

  • Washington Fuels Reporting
  • Credit Bank & Transfer System (CBTS)
  • Alternative Fuel Portal (AFP)

Get started

To register in WFRS-CBTS:

  1. Use the step-by-step user guide in the guidance document library.
  2. Sign up for a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account. SAW is a platform used by Washington state agencies for information security. Skip this step if you already have a business account in SAW.
  3. Sign in to your SAW account.
  4. Add the Climate Portal to your list of services in SAW.
  5. Create a profile in the Climate Portal.
  6. Add the Washington Fuels Reporting System to your list of applications in the Climate Portal.
  7. Open WFRS through the Climate Portal to submit registration materials.
    You won't be able to access your account until we've approved your account. We review all registration materials and call you to verify account details. We may ask for more information. Account approval is the final step in the process and may take several weeks from the date of your initial submission.
    * * Registration is not complete until your account is approved. * *
  8. After your account is approved, access WFRS through the Climate Portal and log in.

Read the current list of registered parties.

If you have questions about the Washington Fuels Reporting System or need help, email us.

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Program fee

We charge a fee to participate in the Clean Fuel Standard program. This fee covers the cost of administering the program and is based on the estimated budget for the coming year.

The Air Quality Fee Rule – which includes clean fuels program fees – was adopted on Nov. 28, 2022, after 14 months of stakeholder meetings, an economic review, and informal and formal comment periods. This rule details the process for setting the fee in 2023 and beyond. 

All program participants are required to pay a participation fee.

The 2024 fee was proposed on Feb. 1 and followed by a 30-day public comment period. Ecology received 5 comments during this time. To read a full description of the budget estimate, workload analysis, and additional information about the 2024 fee setting process, please see the guidance document library.

All invoices will be due within 30 days of receipt and must be paid using our online payment system. Ecology plans to send invoices in May-June.

The final 2024 fee is based on 372 registered participants as of March 14, 2024.

Estimated 2024 program budget: $ 2,036,913

  • All participants (both credit and deficit generators) pay 5% ($101,845) of the program cost.
  • Deficit generators pay 95% ($1,935,067 ) of the program cost.
  Fee amount per participant Number of participants Budget allocation per category

Participation fee
All program participants, 5% of the estimated program cost.

 $274 372 $101,846

Category 1
Top 30% of deficit generators, 70% of deficit fee amount.

 $104,195 13 $1,354,547
Category 2  
Middle 30% of deficit generators, 20% of deficit fee amount.		 $29,770 13 $387,014

Category 3
Lower 30% of deficit generators, 10% of deficit fee amount.

 $14,885 13 $193,507

Lowest 10% of deficit generators
Only pay the participation fee.

 $0 117 $0

* Numbers have been rounded so as not to include decimals for ease of use.

All invoices will be due within 30 days of receipt and must be paid using our online payment system. A late fee surcharge of fifty dollars or 10% of the amount indicated on the billing statement, whichever is more, may be assessed for any fee received more than 30 days past the due date for fee payment.

All program participants are required to pay a participation fee. 

This is a proposed fee amount based on the estimated budget. After 30 days of public comment, we will post the final fee amount on March 15. After that date, the fee will be set for the remainder of calendar year 2024.  

The comment period on the proposed fee closed March 1, 2024.

To read a full description of the budget estimate, workload analysis, and additional information about the 2024 fee, please see the guidance document library.

The 2024 proposed fee is based on 380 registered participants as of Jan. 30, 2024.

Estimated 2024 program budget: $2,036,913

  • All participants (both credit and deficit generators) pay 5% ($101,845) of the program cost.
  • Deficit generators pay 95% ($1,935,067) of the program cost.
  Fee amount per participant Number of participants Budget allocation per category

Participation fee
All program participants, 5% of the estimated program cost.

 $268 380 $101,845.67

Category 1
Top 30% of deficit generators, 70% of deficit fee amount.

 $104,195 13 $1,354,547.34
Category 2  
Middle 30% of deficit generators, 20% of deficit fee amount.		 $29,770 13 $387,013.53

Category 3
Lower 30% of deficit generators, 10% of deficit fee amount.

 $14,885 13 $193,506.76

Lowest 10% of deficit generators
Only pay the participation fee.

 $0 117 0

 

All program participants are required to pay a participation fee. 

2023 final fee, based on 130 registered participants on March 15, 2023:

  • Each deficit generator will pay: $50,649.
  • Each credit generator will pay: $982.

Estimated 2023 program budget: $1,865,999.

  • Deficit generators pay 95% ($1,772,699) of the program cost.
  • Credit generators pay 5% ($93,299) of the program cost.
Program costs Total cost ($)
Dept. Ecology & Commerce staffing 1,018,919
Professional Service Contracts: Fuel supply forecast (Commerce) 119,320
Professional Service Contracts: Cost-benefit analysis (Ecology) 75,467
Section 7 Stakeholder Advisory Panel 4,000
WA Fuel Reporting System 648,293
TOTAL ESTIMATED COSTS 1,865,999

Invoicing:

  • Deficit generators will be invoiced in the second quarter of 2023.
  • Credit generators* will be invoiced in the third quarter of 2023.

*Credit generators may choose to designate a credit aggregator to report on their behalf, however the fee rule requires the registered credit generator be invoiced for participation fee.

All invoices will be due within 30 days of receipt and must be paid using our online payment system.

Why charge a fee for program participation?

We may collect a fee to support program administration, according to RCW 70A.535.130. The Legislature directed us to collect a fee.

When will I be invoiced and how do I pay my invoice?

Ecology aims to email invoices for the 2024 fee in May and June.

All invoices will be due within 30 days of receipt and must be paid using our online payment system. A late fee surcharge of fifty dollars or 10% of the amount indicated on the billing statement, whichever is more, may be assessed for any fee received more than 30 days past the due date for fee payment. (           WAC 173-455-150)

Is the fee based on pure or net deficit generation?

The fee is based on pure deficit generation, based on the definition of “deficit generator” WAC 173-424-110(47): "Deficit generator" means a fuel reporting entity who generates deficits in the CFP program.

Will you adjust the fee if more participants register after March 15? 

No. For fiscal purposes, we must set the fee on this date to accurately account for program costs. If we adjusted the fee as more parties registered throughout the year, then that could penalize participants who registered earlier in the year. If the amount collected is higher than the actual program costs, a future year’s fee will be adjusted to account for the difference. 

Why charge a fee to credit generators?

Credit generators participate voluntarily in the program. We structured the fee to minimize financial barriers to participation. However, we have administrative costs associated with each credit generator’s participation in the program. We determined that a credit-generator fee was an equitable way to recover those costs.

Why charge the fee to designators instead of credit aggregators?

The fee rule determined that the fee will be paid by credit and deficit generators. Credit generators may choose to designate a credit aggregator to report on their behalf, but the registered credit generator must pay the participation fee.

  • "Credit generator" means a person eligible to generate credits by providing clean fuels for use in Washington and who voluntarily registers to participate in the clean fuels program. (WAC 173 424 110(42))

  • "Deficit generator" means a fuel-reporting entity who generates deficits in the CFP program. (WAC 173 424 110(47))

Therefore, the party generating the credits or deficits must pay the fee — not the credit aggregator representing them.

I am registered only in the Alternative Fuels Portal (AFP), so will I be invoiced? 

Yes, you will be invoiced for the flat participation fee. Participants that have applied for fuel pathways will pay the flat participation fee to support program administration, which includes the process to review and approve fuel pathway applications.
 

Reporting and compliance

Regulated and voluntary participants must:

  • Register with us to:
    • Produce fuel in Washington.
    • Import fuel into Washington.
    • Generate or transact credits for fuels supplied in Washington​.
  • Keep records for each transaction of transportation fuel imported, sold, or supplied for use in Washington.
  • Submit quarterly and annual reports using the Washington Fuels Reporting System. Use the WFRS-CBTS user guide for a step-by-step guide to submit a quarterly report.​ The Clean Fuel Standard guidance document library has more information about reporting and compliance. 

Participants are eligible to generate credits beginning the quarter in which they register. No credits are issued retroactively. 

Reporting schedule

Program participants are expected to report all fuel transactions each quarter, as outlined in the schedule below. Program participants should begin the reporting process early and reconcile any discrepancies with business partners before each reporting deadline.

Reporting is due on the dates listed below, or the next business day if the due date is a weekend or a holiday.

Quarter Reporting Period
Quarter 1 
(Jan. 1 - March 31)		 Quarter 1 reporting is due by the end of quarter 2: June 30. 
Quarter 2
(April 1 - June 30)		 Quarter 2 reporting is due by the end of quarter 3: Sept. 30 
Quarter 3
(July 1 - Sept. 30)		 Quarter 3 reporting is due by Jan. 10. 
Quarter 4
(Oct. 1 - Dec. 31)		 Quarter 4 reporting is due by the end of the following quarter 1: March 31.

Electric utilities looking to participate in the CFS must notify Ecology by Oct. 1 if they intend to opt-in and generate residential EV charging base credits in the upcoming year. Utilities that are already registered do not need to re-submit this notification.

New Fuel Supply Equipment (FSE) registrations are due 30 days after the beginning of the quarter. More information is available in our FSE registration user guide and the WFRS-CBTS user guide.

Renewable electricity certificates (RECs) and renewable thermal certificates (RTCs) must be retired within the reporting period for the quarter in which the kWhs were dispensed for which you would like to retire RECs or RTCs. You can find more information on eligibility and reporting in our guidance document library.

Annual Reports

Clean Fuel Standard program participants are required to submit annual reports no later than April 30 for the compliance period of Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 from the previous year (WAC 173-424-430).

When to expect credits

You must be registered and your account approved before credits can be claimed. Credits are designated based on quarterly reports being submitted and, when necessary, reconciled with business partners. 

To estimate the number of credits or deficits you may generate in the program, use the Clean Fuel Standard Obligation Calculator. This calculator is a tool for estimation only. It does not change any individual entity's obligations under the Clean Fuel Standard program.

Carbon intensity and fuel pathways

Each fuel reported in the Clean Fuel Standard is assigned a carbon intensity (CI) score based on its unique fuel pathway. A fuel pathway is the sum of the greenhouse gases emitted throughout each stage of a fuel's production and supply, also known as the "well-to-wheels" or life-cycle analysis for the fuel. Carbon intensity is expressed as the amount of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel energy in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule (g CO2e/MJ). Carbon intensity includes the direct effects of producing and using this fuel, as well as some indirect effects that may be associated with how the fuel affects other products and markets.

Companies, account administrators, and owners or operators of fuel-supplying equipment must register in the Washington Fuels Reporting System (WFRS). Fuel pathway applications are submitted through the Alternative Fuels Portal (AFP). See the WFRS and AFP User Guide in the Clean Fuel Standard guidance document library for detailed information.

There are three ways to determine a carbon-intensity value for use in the Clean Fuel Standard:

  1. If the fuel has a carbon-intensity value approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and/or the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the fuel producer can apply to us to accept that value with modifications as needed to reflect its destination to Washington. The fuel producer can submit the application packet sent to CARB or Oregon, and approval from CARB or Oregon. The applicant should also submit a version of the WA-GREET 3.0 model modified to reflect the transportation mode and distance to Washington (not to California nor Oregon). Fuel producers will submit their fuel pathway applications through the Washington Fuels Reporting System.

  2. If the fuel does not have a carbon-intensity value from California or Oregon, then the fuel producer can submit their fuel pathway application to us for certification. We have developed a series of simplified calculators for well-understood fuel types and the WA-GREET model for more complex fuel pathways. These are listed in the "WA-GREET" tab. Fuel producers will submit their fuel pathway applications through the Washington Fuels Reporting System.

  3. If an applicant has applied for a fuel pathway under the second option, but it hasn't been certified yet, they can use temporary carbon-intensity values. See Table 8 in WAC 173‑424‑900.

The Clean Fuels Program Rule (WAC 173-424-630) requires a unique carbon intensity for electricity generated by each electric utility in Washington. In coordination with the Washington State Department of Commerce's Fuel Mix Disclosure annual report (May 2023 annual report), we developed the 2023 Utility-Specific Carbon Intensity. Find current fuel pathways by searching or sorting by feedstock, fuel, and/or facility name.

Washington determines the carbon intensity of fuels on a lifecycle basis using the GREET model. Each individual transportation fuel has a "fuel pathway" that describes how it is made and delivered to Washington for use in vehicles. Each pathway is assigned its own carbon-intensity value. Carbon-intensity values are shown in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ).

Washington GREET model *

Other calculators, models, and references:

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Contact information

Abbey Brown
Clean Fuel Standard Technical Lead
cfs@ecy.wa.gov
360-819-0158

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