California Bill Moves To Make Cheaper Alternative Fuel Available To More Drivers
May 23, 2026
Cal Matters
Aaron Smith, Energy Institute Faculty Affiliate, explains in Cal Matters that California lawmakers are promoting a bill to expand access to E85 ethanol fuel as a lower-cost alternative to gasoline, while also noting ongoing debate about whether ethanol truly provides significant environmental benefits.
“If approved in its current form, the measure would exempt manufacturers of E85 converter kits from an approval process by the state’s primary climate regulator, the California Air Resources Board, which requires companies to demonstrate the devices do not increase a vehicle’s emissions. The bill would leave in place a separate federal certification process run by the Environmental Protection Agency.
‘Members in Sacramento are looking for ways to try to reduce costs — or appear to reduce costs of driving — and so this is a way to do that,’ said Aaron Smith, a UC Berkeley economist and fuels expert.
The converter kits, which cost between $800 to $1,250, according to a legislative analysis of the bill, would let drivers convert their cars to run on both gasoline and E85 fuel.
E85 is a blend of up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline; the share of ethanol typically is between 55% and 85%, said Smith, the Berkeley expert.”
Read more on this California Bill on LAist
Photo: calmatters.org