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Legislation introduced last year to ease widespread commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was reintroduced Jan. 16 as one of the early measures proposed for the 119th Congress.
The Farm to Fly Act, which would clarify regulation and encourage cooperation for SAF production and use, was sponsored in the new Congress by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
It is supported by the SAF Coalition, a group of stakeholders that includes the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). The SAF Coalition advocates for policies to promote SAF production and scale up the supply.
“The Farm to Fly Act is a meaningful step forward in harnessing the full potential of American agriculture to advance sustainable aviation fuel,” said Alison Graab, Executive Director of the SAF Coalition. “By helping to expand markets for U.S. farmers, this legislation not only strengthens our nation’s energy dominance but also uplifts rural communities across the country.”
Why SAF matters
Produced with biotech from renewable feedstocks, SAF offers an immediate-term solution to slash the impact of air travel on climate change. SAF can be dropped into existing commercial airline engines and can reduce carbon emissions by 70% compared to conventional fossil fuels.
BIO member companies advancing SAF include Virent, which fueled the first transatlantic flight of a commercial aircraft powered 100% with SAF, and LanzaJet, which last year opened the world’s first production facility to convert plant-based and low-carbon ethanol into SAF in Soperton, Georgia.
The challenge to expanding the use of SAF is achieving commercial-scale production. While SAF production was expected to reach 30,000 barrels a day last year, total U.S. jet fuel consumption is about 1.6 million barrels a day, according to the Energy Information Administration.
BIO has long worked for measures to promote government policy that encourages the production and use of SAF. This includes support for legislation and federal rules that more accurately model the greenhouse gas savings from biofuels, including SAF.
How the Farm to Fly Act can help
The Farm to Fly Act reintroduced in the Senate would enhance U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support for SAF production by:
- Clarifying eligibility for SAF within current USDA Bio-Energy Programs and expanding markets for American agricultural crops through aviation bioenergy.
- Providing greater collaboration for aviation biofuels throughout USDA agency mission areas, increasing private sector partnerships.
- Affirming a common definition of SAF for USDA purposes, as widely supported by industry to enable U.S. crops to most effectively contribute to aviation renewable fuels.
