This month is Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska. It’s a chance for us all to celebrate the hardworking farmers, ranchers, and producers, who help fuel the world from right here at home.
But it’s also a reminder that while Nebraska is leading America’s energy revolution today, we have a lot of work to do if we want to deliver more of our homegrown fuel in the years to come.
There’s no better example of this next chapter — or of what Nebraska needs to do to help write it — than one of this year’s hottest topics: Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.
SAF is one of the biggest opportunities in American energy right now. And not just in renewable energy, but in American energy in general.
Just look at how major airlines have already dramatically increased the amount of SAF they use. United used 10 times as much SAF in its planes in 2023 compared to four years earlier in 2019. And Delta has laid out plans for SAF to make up at least 95 percent of its total fuel consumption by 2050.
Leaders in government recognize the importance of SAF, too. Federal agencies are committing hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the growth of SAF nationwide. And here in Nebraska, Senator George Dungan helped pass a new income tax credit into law that will help encourage the production and use of SAF across the state.
What does all of this mean for Nebraska’s renewable fuel producers and the farmers and ranchers who supply them? It’s one of the biggest economic opportunities in decades. In fact, a recent study found that the global market for SAF will grow by 100-fold in the next 10 years alone — from just over $1 billion last year to more than $131 billion in 2033.
And as the nation’s second largest ethanol producer already, Nebraska could capture a huge part of that exploding market. That means more jobs, more investments, and more money in the hands of our workers and their families right here at home.
That’s the good news. Here’s the challenge: Our state must move more swiftly if we want to capitalize on this huge opportunity.
SAF requires ethanol with a low carbon intensity score, and the most efficient way to achieve that is by removing carbon through capture and sequestration, or CCS. And the safest, easiest way to do that is through a CO2 pipeline.
But while Nebraska hasn’t been able to get a CO2 pipeline up and running yet, we have made some real progress towards that goal.
Just a few weeks ago, Tallgrass Energy announced a historic agreement with Bold Alliance that helps pave the way for the completion of its Trailblazer project, which is converting 392 miles of an existing natural gas pipeline to carry CO2.
Thanks to this agreement, not only will Tallgrass invest in local nonprofit groups and support nearby first responders, but landowners will receive royalty checks based on the volume of CO2 transported through their land — guaranteeing that the more the ethanol industry succeeds, the more everyday Nebraskans succeed.
As Tony Leiding, Chairman of Renewable Fuels Nebraska, put it: “Projects like the Tallgrass pipeline are a win for everyone — the producers who can make more valuable ethanol, the farmers and ranchers whose corn can instantly sell for more, and the local communities who benefit from more investments, a larger tax base, and more opportunity.”
Of course, more needs to be done to help our state’s bioeconomy grow bigger and stronger than ever before. And that’s the focus of the upcoming Ethanol Emerging Issues Forum, which will be held in Kearney at the Younes Center North on July 31-August 1. Every Nebraskan with an interest in the success of our state is invited to join.
We have plenty to celebrate this Renewable Fuels Month. But let’s not stop at that. For the sake of the hardworking men and women across our state who feed and fuel the world, let’s recommit ourselves to unlocking even more opportunities for Nebraska to grow and thrive.
