By Tyler Durden | Zero Hedge
As if we weren’t throwing enough trillions of dollars away (or, should we say, printing enough trillions away) incentivizing ill conceived “green energy” subsidies, the Biden administration is now set to be targeting weaning all airlines off of fossil fuels by 2050.
The idea, which is likely going to be laughably impossible to implement at any point in the near future, is part of the White House’s plan to “fight climate change“. It follows the Biden administration’s push for auto manufacturers to go all electric and/or hybrid by 2030.
And how are they going to get airlines to go along with such an asinine idea and time schedule? You guessed it: offering cash in the form of incentives that we don’t have. The administration is “contemplating incentives to support private-sector production of sustainable aviation fuel,” according to Reuters. By 2050, the administration wants airlines to fly on 100% jet fuel from renewable sources, the report says.
Discussions are in “early stages“, according to two sources. Meanwhile, sustainable aviation fuel is two to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel.
Ali Zaidi, the Deputy National Climate Advisor for the White House, said: “As part of the Build Back Better agenda, President Biden proposed catalytic investments to propel innovation and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels.”
Zaidi continued: “The administration is committed to advancing climate solutions in every sector and segment of the economy – with the urgency that the climate crisis demands.”
Electrification of airlines isn’t an option, due to the weight of the batteries that would need to be used, the report notes. In Europe, regulators are trying to “force suppliers to blend rising amounts of SAF into their kerosene,” which has been opposed by U.S. airlines, Reuters notes.
Fuel remains the second largest cost for airlines, other than labour. This means any additional costs due to implementing new fuel rules would likely be passed on to customers.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WEIGHS 2050 TARGET FOR AIRLINES TO FLY ON 100% JET FUEL FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES pic.twitter.com/9igC8Boyi7
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 10, 2021
Plane manufacturers are targeting planes and engines that can run without fossil fuels by 2025 to 2030. Meanwhile, congress is debating a tax credit of up to $2 per gallon for SAF – with money we don’t have to spend.
This article (Biden Administration Wants Airlines Off Fossil Fuels By 2050) was originally published on Zero Hedge and is published under a Creative Commons license.