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12/15/2023

U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Release Guidance to Drive American Innovation, Cut Aviation Sector Emissions …

U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Release Guidance to Drive
American Innovation, Cut Aviation Sector Emissions
December 15, 2023

Biden-Harris Administration Partners Announce Updated GREET Model to Measure Lifecycle
Emissions from Sustainable Aviation Fuels to be Released in Early 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) released guidance on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Credit established by the
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

, part of President Bidenʼs Investing in America agenda to

create good-paying jobs and reduce climate pollution by spurring innovation in the aviation
industry.
The Treasury Department worked closely with Biden-Harris Administration partners, including
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT),
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Energy (DOE) on todayʼs Notice.
“The Biden Administration is driving American innovation to create good-paying jobs and help
the U.S. clear hurdles in our clean energy transition,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L.
Yellen. “Incentives in the Inflation Reduction are helping to scale production of low-carbon
fuels and cut emissions from the aviation sector, one of the most di icult-to-transition
sectors of our economy.”
“President Bidenʼs Investing in America agenda is creating pathways and incentives for
innovators to create a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer
M. Granholm. “Sustainable aviation fuel will provide low carbon fuel made here in America to
help decarbonize the hardest to reach areas in the transportation sector, and DOE is
committed to supporting this e ort which will lead to cleaner skies for all.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to harnessing the potential of sustainable
aviation fuel to develop new economic opportunities for American agricultural producers.
Todayʼs announcement is the next step in making this 36-billion-gallon industry all the more
possible,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “By powering aviation through lowcarbon fuels, farmers can earn extra income, tap into value-added climate-smart agriculture
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U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Release Guidance to Drive American Innovation, Cut Aviation Sector Emissions …

markets, and meet the demand for an aviation industry that seeks to accelerate sustainable
production.”
“America ushered in the jet age, and aviation is a key part of our economy, society, and way of
life. But the safety and sustainability of aviation depend on its ability to reach its goal of netzero carbon emissions by 2050,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The time
is now. Thatʼs why President Biden is advancing the development of sustainable aviation fuels
that will help us reduce carbon pollution while supporting economic growth and creating
opportunity in American aviation.”
“Sustainable aviation fuel is a critical tool for tackling the climate crisis,” said John Podesta,
Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Todayʼs
guidance from Treasury provides certainty that multiple pathways are available to producers
as they compete to decarbonize the aviation sector.”
The Treasury Departmentʼs guidance provides important clarity around eligibility for the SAF
Credit. The credit incentivizes the production of SAF that achieves a lifecycle greenhouse gas
emissions reduction of at least 50% as compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Producers of
SAF are eligible for a tax credit of $1.25 to $1.75 per gallon. SAF that decreases GHG
emissions by 50% is eligible for the $1.25 credit per gallon amount, and SAF that decreases
GHG emissions by more than 50% is eligible for an additional $0.01 per gallon for each
percentage point the reduction exceeds 50%, up to $0.50 per gallon.
Under the guidance issued today, numerous fuels will qualify for the credit, including valid
biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuels, cellulosic biofuel, or cellulosic diesel that have been
approved by EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
Fuels that achieve a 50% or greater reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions under the
most recent Carbon O setting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)
standard will continue to qualify under todayʼs guidance. In addition, EPA, DOT, USDA, and
DOE are announcing their commitment to release an updated version of DOEʼs GREET model
by March 1, 2024. Pending further guidance from the Treasury Department, the updated
GREET model will provide another methodology for SAF producers to determine the lifecycle
GHG emissions rates of their production for the purposes of qualifying for the SAF Credit for
SAF sold or used during calendar years 2023 and 2024.
The updated model will incorporate new data and science, including new modeling of key
feedstocks and processes used in aviation fuel. The updated model will also integrate other
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U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Release Guidance to Drive American Innovation, Cut Aviation Sector Emissions …

categories of indirect emissions like crop production and livestock activity, in addition to best
available science and modeling of indirect land use change emissions. The updated model will
also integrate key greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies such as Carbon Capture and
Storage, Renewable Natural Gas, Renewable Electricity, and Climate-Smart Agriculture
Practices.
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