Corn to power airplanes? Biden administration sets a high bar

In a move aimed at lowering the greenhouse gas emissions of air travel, the Biden administration on Tuesday issued new guidelines for how fuel producers — and in particular, makers of ethanol from corn — could qualify for tax credits under a plan to increase the supply of so-called sustainable aviation fuel. It’s especially difficult to transition airplanes away from traditional jet fuel because there are so few affordable alternatives capable of getting a plane off the ground. The global aviation sector accounts for about 3% of the world’s total emissions, and most jet fuel today is made from fossil fuels. The proposed guidelines could have major implications for corn-producing states. The guidelines offer incentives for farmers to use climate-friendly methods to grow the crops, such as corn or soy, that are used in alternative fuels like ethanol. President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act offered federal tax credits for sustainable aviation fuels, industry jargon for jet fuel made without fossil fuels, that cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%. For months now, federal officials have been evaluating research to decide how to measure whether various biofuel-based alternatives meet that standard.Sustainable aviation fuel is already occasionally blended into traditional jet fuel, albeit at small, single-digit percentages. That scale is well below the government’s target of 3b gallons per year by 2030. Currently, most of it is made out of used cooking oil, and it costs two to four times as much as jet fuel. Nearly 40% of US corn production already goes into the distillation of ethanol fuel, which is blended into gasoline. And while ethanol could feasibly be blended with jet fuel now, uncertainty over how its production could meet stringent carbon-emissions and land-use requirements have prevented its inclusion in the mix. Corn production is also water intensive, and in some places it draws on sensitive aquifers.<br/>