Ethanol Takes Flight with Sustainable Aviation Fuel

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act targets 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to be used annually by 2030. United Airlines shared early this summer it is on track to use 10 million gallons this year, ten times more than it consumed in 2019. SAF could be a boom for the ethanol industry, particularly amidst ongoing pressures to electrify. Environmentalists have criticized the SAF plan, saying ethanol doesn’t decrease emissions as much as some claim.

In response, ethanol Industry leaders are seeking a new methodology to calculate emissions that show ethanol has a lighter carbon footprint as a SAF, as outlined by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Jim Wiesemeyer, a ProFarmer policy analyst, says the White House is divided on the subject.

Read more on aviation fuel and its potential to increase domestic corn demand here.