A coalition of business aviation groups is urging the Biden administration to adopt a consistent and adaptable approach in developing rules for quantifying and verifying greenhouse gas emissions from feedstocks used in producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). These forthcoming rules will play a crucial role in determining the level of tax incentives available to SAF producers under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently seeking public input as it aims to promote climate-friendly farming practices for developing SAF feedstocks. This initiative aligns with the Biden administration’s SAF Grand Challenge, which sets an ambitious goal of producing 3 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030.
In a recent letter to the USDA’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy, the Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel emphasized the importance of following established practices from the Renewable Fuel Standard and other biofuel audit programs. The coalition advocated for a framework that allows for adaptability and flexibility, urging the USDA to focus on performance-based outcomes rather than rigid lists of acceptable feedstocks.
“The BizAv SAF Coalition encourages the department to enable as much adaptability and flexibility in its framework as is practicable and encourages the USDA to embrace a performance-based approach in its analysis, focusing on outcomes rather than prescriptive and exclusionary lists of acceptable feedstocks,” the coalition stated.
The coalition warned that without the right approach, the U.S. could fall short of the SAF Grand Challenge targets. “It is likely that we will only achieve those goals through the existing scale and capabilities of U.S. agriculture through access to sustainable crop-based feedstocks,” the letter continued.
The final greenhouse gas rules will significantly impact SAF producers’ ability to leverage the Clean Fuel Production Credit, part of the Inflation Reduction Act. This credit offers SAF producers up to $1.75 per gallon for fuel produced using feedstocks with low or zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable aviation fuel is integral to business aviation’s broader objective of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The coalition’s advocacy reflects the industry’s commitment to reaching these environmental goals while ensuring the necessary regulatory support is in place.
