California Announces Sustainable Fuels Partnership to Reduce 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 announced a plan with Airlines for America — which represents Delta, JetBlue, United and other airlines — to increase the availability of sustainable aviation fuel in the state to 200 million gallons by 2035. That amount would reach about 40 percent 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 pledge will help the state fight climate change and improve air quality.

“Together we’re not just taking a step forward in cleaner fuels, we’re creating a ripple effect of positive change that will resonate throughout the nine Bay Area counties and extend across the state of California and beyond,” said Hurt at a news conference at San Francisco International Airport.

California produces about 11 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually, according to the council. 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 workers 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 gas emissions. But staff later removed jet fuel from proposed changes to the rule, which the board is expected to vote on next week.

The state has adopted policies in recent years to phase out the sale of new fossil fuels MACHINERY, Trucking, trains and lawn mowers.

President Joe Biden’s administration has also set goals for reducing jet fuel emissions. Biden announced a objective in 2021 reducing aviation emissions by 20% by 2030 and replacing all kerosene-based fuel with sustainable fuel by 2050.

Airplanes contributed about 9 percent of global warming emissions from the U.S. transportation sector in 2022, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Emissions from cars and trucks account 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 would help the state and industry “address emissions head-on.”

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

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