No one pretends that Oregon’s new clean fuel standard is going to slow or stop global climate change. Gov. Kate Brown says she supported the standard, but not because it would actually achieve anything on climate change.

She says she is committed to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and California and Washington are doing things, so Oregon should hold up its end of the bargain.

What do Oregonians get for this bargain?

About the only guarantee is that the standard will make costs at the gas pump go up for customers.

How much?

A few cents? A lot of cents? Nobody knows.

What Senate Bill 324 does is require distributors to lower the carbon intensity of vehicle fuel by 10 percent over the next decade. That doesn’t make fuel cheaper.

There are supposed to be protections in place to shield Oregonians from price spikes, but will state government take action to protect consumers?

There’s no guarantee.

SB 324 has united Republicans in the Legislature. To oppose it, they created a roadblock to something the state actually needs: a transportation package of road and bridge improvements. They say they aren’t going to budge. The governor has been trying to negotiate a compromise.

Brown should get Oregon what it needs, not what feels good.

Oregon’s clean fuels standard gets government more involved in picking winners and losers in the energy market when the benefits of the standard are questionable. It should be repealed or substantially altered to allow the transportation package to move forward.