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Advance Credits are live!
Washington’s Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) lowers climate pollution from transportation—the state’s largest source of greenhouse gases—by increasing the availability and use of cleaner, low carbon fuels. A key new feature of the program is Advance Credits, designed to help public entities accelerate major zero-emission transportation projects.
Advance credits enables public agencies to receive certain CFS credits early for projects that will generate credits in the future. This allows organizations to recover investment costs sooner and reduce the financial burden of large-scale clean transportation upgrades.
Instead of waiting to generate credits over time, eligible public entities can request up to six years of credits when a qualifying project goes into service. Advance credits are especially helpful for projects with high upfront costs—such as ferry electrification, zero-emission upgrades for public transit, and the purchase or installation of heavy-duty hydrogen or electric vehicles and infrastructure.
This year, there are 67,686 credits available – based on the May 2026 average credit price, this could provide an estimated $3 million in funding for public zero-emission projects.
There’s more information below on eligible projects and how to apply, but if you have questions or aren’t sure if you should apply: email us at WFRSAdmin@ecy.wa.gov. We’re ready to help.
We’ve also released a new short explainer video that walks through how Advance Credits work and what to expect during the application process. It’s a great starting point for anyone considering applying.
Application Window
Applications for Advance Credits are accepted through July 31. Currently, 67,686 credits are available for eligible projects.
Who can apply?
Eligible public entities include:
- Public transit agencies
- Public utility districts
- School districts
- Tribal governments
- Government offices like cities or counties
- Certain contractors providing services to eligible entities (with required endorsements)
What projects qualify?
The program supports zero-emission investments such as:
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Medium and heavy-duty vehicles and infrastructure (such as hydrogen or electric trucks or charging stations)
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Light-duty vehicles and infrastructure, if part of a plan to fully electrify its light-duty fleet within 15 years
- Electrification of the state ferry fleet and other large vessels
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Public transit upgrades, including replacing diesel buses with electric or hydrogen buses, or expanding charging and fueling infrastructure
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Other projects Ecology identifies as effective at reducing transportation emissions and able to generate credits under the CFS
required to apply?
Applications are open from July 1-31.
Ecology plans to open applications once a year during this same time period.
You can find out more information if you visit the CFS website.
If you’re interested in applying but not sure where to start, email WFRSAdmin@ecy.wa.gov to get the conversation started!
Resources
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Questions
If you have any questions, email the CFS Team at CFS@ecy.wa.gov.
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Accessibility and language
We’re committed to making our information easy to access for everyone. If you need this message or the linked publications in another format, or a different language, or if you use a relay service:
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