Bill promoting SAF advances to Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee

Worldwide demand for jet fuel is projected to double by 2050, creating new opportunities for aviation innovation.

With a cleaner future on the horizon, a bipartisan bill to jumpstart Washington’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry will be heard in the State Senate Ways and Means Committee Feb. 25.

Senate Bill 5601, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, incentivizes new sustainable fuels projects in the state like the SkyNRG project in Walla Walla and Paine Field’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Center.

The bill would create a grant program to support SAF development and research in the state, and it would leverage certain tax deferrals and exemptions to create manufacturing jobs necessary for building the infrastructure for SAF innovation.

“This bill proves we can have good jobs and a healthy environment,” Liias said. “We build the world’s best airplanes here, and we should lead the way to cleaner jet fuel. Providing a path for the aviation industry to wean off fossil fuels not only cleans our air but also sparks the kind of innovation that strengthens our green economy.”

As a leader in sustainable aviation, Washington-based Alaska Airlines was one of the first major airlines to demonstrate the use of SAF in passenger travel.

Scott Kennedy, Alaska’s senior manager for state and local government affairs, said the production tax credits passed in the 2023 legislative session have established a foundation of support for SAF in Washington.

Low production volumes, distribution challenges and a purchase price several times higher than conventional jet fuel, however, make the transition to SAF difficult for airlines like Alaska.

“We need additional policy incentives like these to encourage facility siting, production and implementation of SAF, and to overcome the significant cost barriers that disincentivize local production, and ultimately, our own ability to purchase the final product,” Kennedy said in his testimony to the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.

The bill was previously heard in the State Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee Feb. 5.

Follow the bill’s progress here.

Watch the upcoming committee hearing here.