California announces sustainable fuels partnership to curb emissions from planes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will partner 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 meet about 40% of intrastate travel demand, the agency said.

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

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

California produces about 11 million gallons annually of sustainable aviation fuel, according to the board. The state plans to use sustainable aviation fuel produced in California and in other states to meet the new targets.

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 toward transportation fuels that emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But staff later removed jet fuel from proposed changes to the rule, which the board is set to vote on next week.

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

President Joe Biden’s administration has also set targets for curbing jet fuel emissions. Biden announced a goal in 2021 to reduce aviation emissions 20% by 2030 and replace all kerosene-based jet fuel with sustainable fuel by 2050.

Planes contributed about 9% of planet-warming emissions from the transportation sector in the U.S. in 2022, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Emissions from cars and trucks account for the majority of greenhouse gas releases from transportation.

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

“This is a major step forward in our work to cut 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 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