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Industry anticipates expected 45Z announcement

Industry officials say the U.S. Treasury’s declaration that guidance on the 45Z sustainable aviation fuel tax credits is expected by the end of January is a good step.

However, John Fuher, with Growth Energy, says the industry needs long-term certainty.

“Because these are new investments.”  He says, “This is not something we’ve made before. This is essentially taking alcohol and supercharging it, so you can use it in a plane and in order to do that, you have to build a pretty costly facility. But you gotta have years available. You gotta have a way to pencil that out.”

Kenny Hartman, Jr., president of the National Corn Growers Association, and Illinois farmer, tells Brownfield access to the sustainable aviation fuel market would benefit all of agriculture.

“I know I had some folks at the house in the last year from Boeing.”  He says, “They’re really excited about ethanol to jet as one of the products for their engines.  That’s a 50-billion-gallon market. So, we can share that market, and it helps all of agriculture.”

Fuher says three bills have been introduced into Congress to extend the yet unreleased 45Z credits for up to ten years, however he doesn’t expect them to see movement in the current lame duck session.

AUDIO: John Fuher – Growth Energy