Energy dominance requires an accounting of every source of energy, and every gallon of jet fuel sourced from an unstable region is a strategic liability. While we continue to rely on other countries to fuel ours, there is no shortage of rural Americans standing ready to move the needle from energy dependent to energy dominant. In my home state of Kansas and across much of the Midwest, the agricultural capacity and industrial infrastructure needed to strengthen American energy dominance already exists. The only missing piece is policy support.
Kansas is known for its leadership in agriculture and aviation. Our farmers are top producers of sorghum, wheat and cattle, and general aviation is one of the largest industries in Kansas, producing 35% of all general aviation aircraft in the United States. Globally, the U.S. is the leader in aerospace manufacturing, and these two industries are a significant component of our economy. An emerging fuel called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offers a historic opportunity to unite these industries and transform our rural communities.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Chairman of the Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee, I’ve worked to support new markets for farmers while strengthening the aviation industry. Recent challenges for the agriculture industry have led to commodity price swings, tighter margins and greater uncertainty for the next generation of farmers. Farmers are looking for new markets to sell their products, and the right policy, paired with American innovation, can achieve positive outcomes for our producers.
I introduced the Securing America’s Fuels Act, which would reinstate the SAF bonus credit to the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, restoring its value to up to $1.75 per gallon for the cleanest fuels. It would also extend the credit through 2033, giving farmers, investors and fuel producers the long-term certainty they need to commit capital and build the industry.
Now more than ever, having this economic certainty is critical to our agricultural producers. Making homegrown jet fuel from corn, sorghum, soybeans or other crops costs more than conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. Without a stable, reliable tax incentive, the cost gap doesn’t close, and the investment pipeline dries up before it gets started. When Congress extended the 45Z credit but cut the SAF-specific bonus, projects that were in development stalled. The Securing America’s Fuels Act fixes this problem.
Scaling SAF production to meet national goals could generate more than 70,000 jobs through 2030, according to the U.S Department of Energy. These are the jobs that support our rural communities and give individuals the ability to work, live and raise a family without having to move away from the places they call home.
The same feedstocks that have fueled the ethanol industry are well-positioned to feed the SAF supply chain, and the Midwest is home to a strong biofuels infrastructure, with the pipelines, processing capacity and agronomic expertise we need. We already have the capabilities necessary, but we need certainty, provided through sound policy, to unlock the next round of investment.
Aviation is a significant component in SAF production as well. Airlines globally are facing growing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, and many are receiving hard mandates to do so in international markets. SAF can reduce emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, and it works with existing engines and airport fueling infrastructure – no major retrofits are required. American aviation manufacturing employs tens of thousands in Kansas and across the U.S. A thriving domestic SAF industry is a natural complement to what our world-class manufacturers already do so well.
SAF isn’t a complicated policy. It’s a targeted solution that has the bipartisan backing of farm groups, airlines, biofuel producers and rural communities across the country. This policy is supported by the Global Business Travel Association, National Business Travel Association, National Sorghum Producers, Airlines for America, Advanced Biofuels Association, American Biogas Council and others. That kind of alignment happens when legislation is good for American agriculture, American energy, American aviation and American jobs.
I am a founding member of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus because this industry represents one of the most promising intersections of agriculture and energy we’ve seen in a generation. But promises don’t fill a grain elevator or sign a paycheck. It takes the right policy framework to translate potential into success.
The Securing America’s Fuels Act provides that framework. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support it, and I look forward to the agricultural and aviation communities making their voices heard. Our farmers and rural communities have everything it takes to help power America’s skies. It’s time we gave them the tools to do it.
Moran represents Kansas in the U.S. Senate. He is a founding member of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus and serves as chairman of the Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee and as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.