Duckworth introduces Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on June 13 introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill that aims to identify the standards required to meet the definition of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

The bill would require the federal government to adopt the most up-to-date lifecycle emissions models, including GREET or successor life-cycle analysis models to GREET. It would also prevent the federal government from picking winners and losers in the SAF market and clarifies that the U.S. government does not encourage the banning of agricultural feedstocks from being utilized as a viable source of SAF.

“One of the most important things we can do to make American aviation more sustainable is increase the supply of American-grown, American-made, sustainable aviation fuel,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Fischer, along with Senators Ernst, Klobuchar and Grassley, to introduce our bipartisan bill that will protect and ‘grow’ our sustainable aviation fuel sources stemming from America’s agricultural bounty, representing a true win-win solution that supports domestic farmers and blenders while reducing our carbon footprint.”

The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act of 2023 is endorsed by Fuels Alliance America, United Airlines, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and National Corn Growers Association. The American Coalition for Ethanol is also speaking out in support of the bill.

“We thank Sen. Duckworth and her colleagues for working together on this important legislation that will better facilitate growth in SAF production and use,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “By including the most robust and accurate lifecycle GHG model,  this legislation would ensure America’s farmers and renewable fuel producers have the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the goal of producing 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030.”

“To meet the nation’s goals for carbon reductions in transportation and new markets like sustainable aviation, U.S. producers need assurance that sustainably grown U.S. crops will have access to incentives and other federal programs. Producers need the ability to rely on a U.S. model that is consistently updated with accurate, real-world data from the industry. The Department of Energy’s GREET model should be the gold standard. We thank Senator Duckworth for her continued leadership on sustainable aviation fuel policy,” said Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America.

“The Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory have invested decades into building the world’s most accurate and sophisticated tool for modeling transportation emissions, and we should be making full use of that data to decarbonize aviation,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “We’re grateful to Senator Duckworth and her colleagues for elevating the importance of sound science when it comes to advancing U.S. production of SAF. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Accuracy Act will ensure that American biofuel producers and our farm partners are not bogged down with outdated or inaccurate models as we work to meet the aviation sector’s clean fuel needs.”

“We appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Senators Duckworth, Ernst, Klobuchar and Fisher when it comes to ensuring the federal government takes an accurate and consistent approach to assessing sustainable aviation fuels from all feedstocks, including fuels using agriculture feedstocks,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president. “Using the best science is essential to the success of these new fuels, and farmers can help make these new fuels possible.”

“ACE supports ensuring the global gold standard for lifecycle analysis, the GREET model, is used to determine the carbon intensity of transportation technologies and fuels including SAF,” said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. “This bill is consistent with what Congress requires Treasury to follow with respect to implementing the new 45Z tax credit, and since the SAF tax credit eventually migrates to 45Z this makes good policy sense.”

Additional information is available on Duckworth’s website.