Rep. Johnson joins Kansas Democrat to start sustainable aviation caucus

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, speaks to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy of Rep. Johnson's Office)

South Dakota’s lone U.S. representative has partnered with a Kansas Democrat to create a congressional caucus focused on sustainable aviation.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, announced the formation of the Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus in a Monday press release, saying “Congress should advance legislative priorities that support innovation through biofuels, national security, and passenger safety.”

In addition to aviation fuels, the press release says, the caucus will focus on technologies to improve fuel efficiency and sustainable practices that would “save money in the long run.”

Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, will co-chair the caucus with Johnson.

“Adopting these sustainable practices is critical for our national security and economic resilience,” Davids said in the press release. “I’m glad to join forces with Representative Johnson to ensure America’s aviation industry continues to be resilient and reliable for years to come.”

CO2 pipeline opponents doubt certainty of $1 billion corn-based jet fuel project

South Dakota may have a role in the formation of a sustainable aviation fuel industry. Currently, the fuel represents a tiny fraction of the aviation fuel used in the U.S., but federal financial incentives have spurred the formation of new companies and projects that could expand its reach. Current federal subsidies offer $1.25 for every gallon of the fuel mixed into traditional jet fuel. The fuel must reduce “lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions” by at least 50% to qualify, and producers are eligible for another cent in subsidies for every percentage point drop after that.

Colorado-based Gevo aims to build its Net-Zero 1 sustainable aviation fuel plant near Lake Preston, South Dakota. It announced the $1 billion-plus project in 2022, but has yet to begin construction.

The company aims to produce its own corn-based ethanol, then convert that to sustainable aviation fuel. The company hopes to minimize its greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of low-carbon farming practices by its contracted corn farmers, and the sequestration of carbon emitted in the production process.

Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden appeared at the Net-Zero 1 groundbreaking, Gov. Kristi Noem lauded the project in her 2023 State of the State speech, and Noem’s son-in-law, Kyle Peters, lobbies for the company.

Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber has said the project is dependent on a separate Summit Carbon Solutions project that would capture carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants and pump them via underground pipe to North Dakota for sequestration.

Attaching the Net-Zero 1 facility to the carbon pipeline is necessary to maximize the company’s carbon reduction score and make it economically feasible, Gruber said.

The pipeline proposal has angered property rights activists and played a role in the primary election losses of 14 legislative incumbents , some of them to anti-pipeline candidates. Ethanol lobbyists, however, are among the groups who see carbon sequestration as critical to the future of the industry, and as a major economic driver in South Dakota and elsewhere in the Midwest.

A lobbyist for the airline industry lauded the creation of the Washington, D.C.-based sustainable aviation fuel caucus in Johnson’s press release.

“General aviation is steadfast in our commitment to mitigate the industry’s impact on the environment through technological and operational improvements as well as the use of sustainable aviation fuel,” said Paul Feldman, vice president of government affairs, General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

According to Johnson’s office, the new caucus will help keep voters and other congressional leaders informed of efforts to encourage the production of sustainable aviation fuels that are “needed to further environmental gains, enhance fuel supply resiliency, and strengthen national security.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story and headline have been updated since initial publication to clarify the scope of the work planned for the aviation caucus.

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