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Walz sees Minnesota becoming global sustainable aviation fuel leader

The governor of Minnesota is taking steps to position his state as a global leader in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Tim Walz tells Brownfield he has formed a first-of-its-kind coalition committed to scaling up SAF production to replace conventional jet fuel.

“And we have all the components right here in Minnesota, we’ve got a refinery nearby, we’ve got North America’s top-rated airport, and of course we are the leaders in biofuels.”

The Minnesota SAF Hub includes Delta Airlines, Ecolab, Xcel Energy, and Bank of America.

He expects ground transportation to shift away from liquid fuels and more toward electric vehicles, but says that won’t be the case with aviation.

“You’ve heard people say it’s hypocritical to talk about climate change and then hop on a plane (and) they’re not necessarily wrong about that. So I said how about we address climate change and hop on a plane while we’re also reducing carbon. So I think it’s a win-win-win and the ag community is right at the center of that.”

Walz signed a nation-leading sustainable aviation fuel tax credit into law earlier this year and says using crop-based feedstocks will help reduce the carbon footprint while supporting rural communities.