California announces a Sustainable Fuels Partnership to curb aircraft emissions

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will work with a trade group representing major U.S. airlines to increase the availability of sustainable aviation fuels, state officials said Wednesday.

The California Air Resources Board, along with Airlines for America – which represents Delta, JetBlue, United and other airlines – announced a plan to increase the availability of sustainable aviation fuel in the state to 200 million gallons by 2035. That amount would cover about 40% of intrastate travel demand, the agency said.

Davina Hurt, board member and president of the San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District, said the commitment would help the state combat climate change and improve air quality.

“Together, we will not only take a step forward in cleaner fuels, but we will also create a ripple effect of positive change that will resonate across the nine counties of the Bay Area and extend to the state of California and beyond,” said Hurt at a press conference in New York. San Francisco International Airport.

According to the administration, California produces approximately 11 million gallons of sustainable jet fuel annually. The state plans to use sustainable aviation fuel produced in California and other states to meet the new goals.

The announcement comes after some airline employees and advocates said the state is not doing enough to address the health impacts of jet fuel emissions. Air Resources Board staff last year included jet fuel in proposed updates to the state’s low-carbon fuel standard, a program aimed at transitioning the state to transportation fuels that emit fewer greenhouse gases. But staff later removed jet fuel from the proposed rule changes, which the board will vote on next week.

The state has adopted policies in recent years to phase out the sale of new fossil fuel-powered fuels cars, trucks, trains And lawn mowers.

President Joe Biden’s administration has also set goals for this reducing aviation fuel emissions. Biden announced one goal for 2021 to reduce aviation emissions by 20% by 2030 and replace all kerosene-based aviation fuel with sustainable fuel by 2050.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, airplanes contributed about 9% of global warming in 2022 due to the U.S. transportation sector. Emissions from cars and trucks are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who often touts the state’s status as a climate leader, said the new pledge will help the state and industry “tackle emissions head-on.”

“This is a major step forward in our work to reduce pollution, protect our communities and build a future with cleaner air and innovative climate solutions,” he said in a statement.

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Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on Twitter: @ sophieadanna