SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday issued the following statement following the state Senate voting to approve Senate Bill 14, the Clean Fuel Standard Act:

“The Clean Fuel Standard Act will reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels, improving the health of our communities and quality of our air while increasing consumer fuel options and attracting new economic investments. We will be the very first state in the southwest to implement a clean fuel standard, setting us ahead of the curve economically and environmentally.”

Sponsored by Senator Mimi Stewart, the legislation harnesses market forces to spur millions of dollars in economic investment in the clean economy with the potential to create jobs in rural and urban communities across the state. If implemented, a clean fuel standard will reduce emissions by an estimated 18.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide – equivalent to taking 570,000 cars off the road for a year.

A clean fuel standard requires those that refine, blend and import transportation fuels, like gasoline and diesel, to annually decrease the carbon intensity of their fuels. A clean fuel standard does not apply to retailers of gasoline, like gas stations. Studies in states that already have clean fuel standards in place demonstrate that the standard has next-to-no impact on the price consumers pay for gas at the pump.