By Mike Flood
Congressman
Almost two decades ago, the advent of the Renewable Fuel Standard led to an economic revolution in rural Midwestern communities. Biofuel plants popped up across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and other states. Good-paying jobs came with them along with private sector price support for one of America’s most important commodities.
Over the years, these plants have attracted follow-on investment from related industries creating biotech hubs producing ethyl acetate, enzymes, bioplastics, and other innovative products.
To date, Midwestern biofuels have helped Americans and millions — if not billions — of drivers across the planet access cleaner fuels that are also more affordable.
Today, the industry is about to enter a new chapter. This is a big deal for rural communities and Midwestern states — we’re on the cusp of a revolution that could dwarf what rural America experienced following the expansion of ethanol production in the first part of the 2000s.
As the world seeks to clean up the air, the airline industry is looking for sustainable alternatives to traditional aviation fuels. Those alternatives will generally rely on traditional combustion engines. Other ones are easy to rule out: batteries are too heavy for airplanes and research on nuclear powered aircraft stalled in the design phase decades ago.
And that’s where biofuels come into play.
America is the largest producer of biofuels in the world, and as the second largest ethanol-producing state, Nebraska is positioned to deliver the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that airlines will need to power their aircraft. To this end, I’ve been working with my colleagues in the House to help cut red tape and pave the way for the biofuel producers seeking to do the work needed to get SAF to market.
In July, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) joined me to introduce the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act. This bipartisan bill aims to bring integrity to the standards required to meet the definition of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The legislation would recognize the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne GREET model, bringing integrity to the definition of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and ensure that more Americans reap the benefits of robust SAF options.
I’m also proud to have joined Congressman Max Miller (R-OH) in introducing the bipartisan Farm to Fly Act, which clarifies the eligibility criteria for SAF within U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Clear criteria will help businesses seeking to develop SAF access existing USDA programs for research and development.
The ethanol industry has also been working to de-carbonize their fuels, making them even more attractive to potential airline clients. Carbon sequestration projects are in the works. These projects will work with producers to capture carbon during the biofuel production process and sequester it underground.
These are just a few of the opportunities on the horizon that can help bring SAF closer to commercial production.
Mainstream use of SAF may be closer than many realize. Virgin Airlines recently completed what was billed as the first transatlantic flight powered entirely by a variant of SAF.
But widespread adoption of SAFs won’t happen accidentally. It will take vision from policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels to cut red tape. It’s going to take continued investment from the private sector. And researchers will be working to make sure the fuels meet the needs of the market.
Supporting SAF and generating a new wave of growth in the biofuels industry is not just great for our Midwestern rural communities — it’s critical for our energy independence. These fuels don’t rely on foreign sources of energy or minerals. They help support great jobs in small and mid-sized communities. And they produce high quality distillers’ grains for our cattle and pork industries as a coproduct.
I’m excited about what’s next for big biofuels communities in my congressional district in Nebraska. I am confident that continued innovation and investment will help bring SAF into mainstream use in the coming years. As SAF continue to develop, I’ll keep fighting to support the work of our ag and biofuels producers as we all work together to bring about the next great biofuels revolution.