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Comment 15 for Public Workshop to Discuss Potential Changes to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (lcfs-wkshp-aug18-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Jame
Last Name: Donath
Email Address: jame@greenscapefinancial.com
Affiliation: Greenscape Financial Group Inc.
Subject: Feedback on Proposed Elimination of Electric Forklift FSEs
Comment:
I wish to provide comment on the recent proposal by CARB to phase out the LCFS credit eligibility of electric forklifts post-2025. Our company, Greenscape Financial, is in the business of aggregating, monetizing, and financing the credits generated by electric industrial equipment, including electric forklifts. Our business provides owner/operators of electric equipment upfront lump-sum cash payments in exchange for the right to register the credits generated from electric charging of this equipment over a multi-year period. The customers can use those upfront proceeds for any corporate purpose, including purchasing more electric equipment. Our upfront payments are effectively a financial rebate on the purchase or lease of new electric cargo handling equipment, which eases the customer's transition away from higher carbon propane lifts towards the typically more expensive zero-emission vehicles. We formed our company in 2021 based on CARB's publicly stated commitment to the LCFS regulation. On that basis, my partner and I have made significant investments for the long-term which we believe we benefit our customers, service providers, and local communities. Unfortunately, that whole model has now been thrown into disarray as as result of CARB's recent pronouncements. As we stand today, we are not able to offer customers contracts beyond three years given the complete lack of visibility in regards to the potential for credit generation. Our customers are similarly hesitant to sign up for contracts to participate in a program that now appears to lack long-term support from California regulators. Recent data shows that only 50-55% of California's forklift fleet is electric, leaving a huge swath of the market (~50,000 forklifts) that still run on propane and must be converted. So why pull the rug out now, particularly when this program has proven so effective to date? The decision seems rather arbitrary and more aimed at addressing low LCFS credit prices than the efficacy of a program that continues to yield results. If CARB is concerned about excess credit generation swamping the LCFS market, a much more logical solution would be to raise the stringency requirements on carbon intensity levels as it has done historically. We would also suggest that all FSEs be required to install meters that produce empirical data, rather than the "guesstimation" method allowed by CARB and currently used by most vendors of electrical forklift credits. Market observers estimate that this method of credit calculation probably overstates credit generation by as much as 20-30% annually. Mandating metering of electric forklift credits would therefore significantly reduce the pool of credits generated from this category while preserving the integrity of the program. We strongly encourage CARB not to interfere with a program that has been a model of public/private partnership and has produced results that are additive to the objectives of the LCFS. At the very least, CARB needs to provide a longer-term transition period (e.g. ~10 years) for a change of this magnitude, with plenty of runway and visibility for market participants. Otherwise we fear the disruption and uncertainty created by such a precipitous move will be felt well beyond the forklift space, and will ultimately prove counterproductive to CARB's oft-stated objective of attracting and retaining private investment to facilitate California's transition to green energy. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Jame Donath Chairman Greenscape Financial Group, Inc.
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2022-09-19 07:10:06
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