[originally published in RealClear Energy] President Biden declared in his State of the Union address that his administration remains committed to cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal that rightly puts climate action at the forefront of our national priorities. But reaching this target will require an all-of-the-above approach – including support for policies that champion low carbon liquid fuels, which are vital for decarbonizing transportation across all modes, from the sea to the air and every road and rail in between. Without that flexibility, America ..read more

[originally published in RealClear Energy] The Biden administration has set ambitious and pivotal objectives aimed at significantly curbing America’s carbon emissions from cars and trucks, which I wholeheartedly support. However, after years of doubling down on an electric vehicle strategy to achieve those goals, they seem to finally be acknowledging the reality of the challenges facing our transportation sector’s energy transition. Fleets take decades to turn over, infrastructure buildout takes even longer, and electric solutions for the heavy-duty transportation sectors remain long-term play ..read more

[originally published in Gannett publications] With the climate crisis bearing down on us after the hottest year on record, it is irresponsible to limit emissions reductions efforts to a simple dichotomy between electric or fuel. The stakes are simply too high for America not to use every tool available. Only with an all-of-the-above, inclusive climate strategy that prioritizes all carbon-reducing technologies available do we have a chance of meaningfully reducing our transportation-based carbon emissions, and avoiding siloed disruptions, as we’re now witnessing with the national rollout ..read more

[originally published in Progressive Farmer] U.S. farmers and ethanol producers will be a key cog in the growth of the sustainable aviation fuel industry for the foreseeable future after the U.S. Department of Treasury announced Friday it will use a modified version of a popular greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions model to determine how it allocates tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Using the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Technologies, or GREET, model will allow the Treasury to accurately determine ethanol’s carbon footprint. Because the model uses the latest rea ..read more

[originally published in Biofuels Digest] In Washington, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released guidance on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act, and said that pending further guidance from the Treasury Department, an updated GREET model will provide another methodology for SAF producers to determine the lifecycle GHG emissions rates of their production for the purposes of qualifying for the SAF Credit for SAF sold or used during calendar years 2023 and 2024. In addition, EPA, DOT, USDA, and DOE are an ..read more

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released Dec. 15 their much-anticipated guidance on the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act.   Contentious debate has ensued over the past several months on which emissions model the treasury department will use to determine greenhouse-gas (GHG) reductions—U.S. DOE’s GREET model or the International Civil Aviation Authority’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. This will determine how much of the SAF tax credit a fuel will be eligible f ..read more

[originally published in the Washington Examiner] The Biden administration said Friday it would allow ethanol-based fuels to be included in its sustainable aviation fuel tax credit qualifications, delivering a victory to corn growers. According to the Treasury Department, which published the tax credit guidance, fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% are eligible for the credit, thus allowing the ethanol-based fuel to qualify. But it will also update the methodology by March 1, meaning any victory could be short-lived. “Sustainable aviation fuel wil ..read more

Looking back, 2023 was a year of mixed achievement, exemplified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final “set” ruling governing the RFS. For the first time in the history of the program, EPA set multi-year mandates from 2023 to 2025. Though the ruling recognized progress made by renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producers in the Advanced, Biomass Based Diesel, and cellulosic categories, it missed an important opportunity to reflect our industry’s actual production capacity, particularly in the renewable diesel category. We will continue to encour ..read more

Emirates made aviation history by becoming the world’s first airline to conduct an A380 demonstration flight utilizing 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), thanks to the collaborative efforts of ABFA members Virent and Neste. On November 22, the Emirates flight travelled from Dubai International Airport, with one of its four engines powered 100% by SAF. The successful flight highlights a crucial aspect of SAF and other advanced biofuels—their seamless integration with existing infrastructure. Unlike alternative low-carbon energy sources, SAF and advanced biofuels can be used as drop-in fuels ..read more

British airline Virgin Atlantic flew one of its commercial airliners from London to New York on Tuesday using 100% sustainable aviation fuel, the company said Tuesday. The airline flew a Boeing 787 Dreamliner powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines from Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a news release. Virgin said its flight marked the first time a commercial jet had flown across the Atlantic Ocean on unblended SAF. The flight burned a dual SAF blend, 88% of which was made by Air BP using waste fats. The remaining 12% was made from plant sugars and was s ..read more