US drive to make green jet fuel with ethanol stalled by CO2 pipeline foes

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Reuters or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The U.S. initiative to create sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from ethanol is facing delays due to opposition to carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines essential for reducing ethanol's greenhouse gas emissions
• These pipelines are intended to transport CO2 from ethanol plants to storage sites

🔭 The context: The Biden administration aims to produce significant volumes of SAF by 2030 and 2050
• However, the current production methods for ethanol-based SAF only achieve a 15% reduction in emissions, falling short of the required 50% reduction compared to conventional jet fuel

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Achieving the SAF production goals is crucial for decarbonizing the airline industry and supporting the ethanol and corn farming sectors
• However, public resistance and permitting setbacks for pipeline projects threaten this transition

⏭️ What's next: The ethanol industry urges the adoption of different climate models that assign a lower carbon impact to corn growth
• This approach, combined with renewable energy use and climate-friendly farming, could reduce ethanol's carbon intensity

💬 One quote: "It would take the most effective tool in their arsenal to reduce their emissions off the table." (Nikita Pavlenko, International Council on Clean Transportation)

📈 One stat: The Biden administration's SAF program allocates a $1.25 per gallon production tax credit for SAF producers who can demonstrate a 50% lower emission rate than conventional jet fuel

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