Legislation currently pending in Washington state aims to require airport operators to make a minimum 10% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available to private jets owned by individuals or businesses once certain conditions are met.
The bill, SB 6114, was introduced by Washington Sen. Marko Liias on Jan. 10 and cleared the Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 5.
According to the bill text, the requirement would kick in within 24 months of the Washington Department of Ecology verifying cumulative SAF production capacity of 20 MMgy. The bill also requires the department to complete a feasibility study for enforcing and carrying out the bill’s requirements by Nov. 1, 2027. Rules for the program would have to be adopted within 12 months of the completion of that feasibility study.
“The detrimental impacts of air pollution are crystal clear in higher rates of asthma and an increased risk of stroke, lung cancer and other serious ailments,” said Liias in a statement released by Washington Senate Democrats. “Requiring sustainable, renewable fuels for private jets is one way to help reverse these risks for future generations while also reducing our carbon footprint.”
“Snohomish County is the global heart of aerospace manufacturing, which has been an important economic driver of the county for over 50 years,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “The continued success of aviation – and our economy more broadly – relies on transitioning to cleaner, more sustainable lines of business. Sen. Liias has been a champion for sustainable aviation fuels, and I am grateful for his continued efforts to help decarbonize aviation.”
Additional information SB 6114 is available on the Washington State Legislature website.