[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                    PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF: EXAMINING EFFORTS 
                   TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AT U.S. AIRPORTS

=======================================================================

                                (117-50)

                             REMOTE HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                                AVIATION

                                 OF THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                   TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                              MAY 17, 2022

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
             
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]             


     Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-
     transportation?path=/browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/
                             transportation                             
                             __________

                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
50-418 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                              
               COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

  PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon, Chair
SAM GRAVES, Missouri                 ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON,
ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD, Arkansas    District of Columbia
BOB GIBBS, Ohio                      EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida              RICK LARSEN, Washington
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky              GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            STEVE COHEN, Tennessee
RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois               ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
JOHN KATKO, New York                 JOHN GARAMENDI, California
BRIAN BABIN, Texas                   HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr., 
GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana             Georgia
DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina         ANDRE CARSON, Indiana
MIKE BOST, Illinois                  DINA TITUS, Nevada
RANDY K. WEBER, Sr., Texas           SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York
DOUG LaMALFA, California             JARED HUFFMAN, California
BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas            JULIA BROWNLEY, California
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida               FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida
MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin            DONALD M. PAYNE, Jr., New Jersey
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania   ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON,            MARK DeSAULNIER, California
  Puerto Rico                        STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts
TROY BALDERSON, Ohio                 SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
PETE STAUBER, Minnesota              ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee              TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey
DUSTY JOHNSON, South Dakota          GREG STANTON, Arizona
JEFFERSON VAN DREW, New Jersey       COLIN Z. ALLRED, Texas
MICHAEL GUEST, Mississippi           SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas, Vice Chair
TROY E. NEHLS, Texas                 JESUS G. ``CHUY'' GARCIA, Illinois
NANCY MACE, South Carolina           ANTONIO DELGADO, New York
NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, New York         CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas                CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania
CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida           SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts
MICHELLE STEEL, California           JAKE AUCHINCLOSS, Massachusetts
Vacancy                              CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, Georgia
                                     KAIALI`I KAHELE, Hawaii
                                     MARILYN STRICKLAND, Washington
                                     NIKEMA WILLIAMS, Georgia
                                     MARIE NEWMAN, Illinois
                                     TROY A. CARTER, Louisiana

                        Subcommittee on Aviation

  RICK LARSEN, Washington, Chair
GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana             STEVE COHEN, Tennessee
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky              ANDRE CARSON, Indiana
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
JOHN KATKO, New York                 KAIALI`I KAHELE, Hawaii
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida               NIKEMA WILLIAMS, Georgia
MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin            HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr., 
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania   Georgia
TROY BALDERSON, Ohio                 DINA TITUS, Nevada
PETE STAUBER, Minnesota              SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York
TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee              JULIA BROWNLEY, California
JEFFERSON VAN DREW, New Jersey       DONALD M. PAYNE, Jr., New Jersey
TROY E. NEHLS, Texas                 MARK DeSAULNIER, California
NANCY MACE, South Carolina           STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts
BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas                ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida           GREG STANTON, Arizona
MICHELLE STEEL, California           COLIN Z. ALLRED, Texas
Vacancy                              CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania, Vice 
SAM GRAVES, Missouri (Ex Officio)    Chair
                                     ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON,
                                       District of Columbia
                                     EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
                                     JOHN GARAMENDI, California
                                     PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon (Ex 
                                     Officio)

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

Summary of Subject Matter........................................   vii

                 STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of 
  Washington, and Chair, Subcommittee on Aviation, opening 
  statement......................................................     1
    Prepared statement...........................................     4
Hon. Garret Graves, a Representative in Congress from the State 
  of Louisiana, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Aviation, 
  opening statement..............................................     5
Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, a Representative in Congress from the 
  State of Oregon, and Chair, Committee on Transportation and 
  Infrastructure, opening statement..............................     7
    Prepared statement...........................................     8
Hon. Sam Graves, a Representative in Congress from the State of 
  Missouri, and Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and 
  Infrastructure, prepared statement.............................    71

                               WITNESSES

Ann Ardizzone, Vice President of Supply Chain, Alaska Airlines, 
  oral statement.................................................    10
    Prepared statement...........................................    12
Paul Hoback, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Development 
  Officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority, oral statement....    17
    Prepared statement...........................................    19
Robert Horton, Vice President of Environmental Affairs and 
  Sustainability, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, oral 
  statement......................................................    23
    Prepared statement...........................................    24
Peter J. Bunce, President and Chief Executive Officer, General 
  Aviation Manufacturers Association, oral statement.............    28
    Prepared statement...........................................    30
Jennifer Bies, Director of Environmental Operations, Port of 
  Portland, oral statement.......................................    35
    Prepared statement...........................................    37
John Plaza, President and Chief Executive Officer, SkyNRG 
  Americas, Inc., oral statement.................................    42
    Prepared statement...........................................    43
Val Miftakhov, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ZeroAvia, 
  oral statement.................................................    45
    Prepared statement...........................................    47

                       SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD

Discussion Draft, Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity Act...    72
Statement of Airlines for America and Letter to Congressional 
  Leadership.....................................................    81
Statement of Ed Bolen, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
  National Business Aviation Association.........................    84

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                              May 17, 2022

    SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER

    TO:      LMembers, Subcommittee on Aviation
    FROM:  LStaff, Subcommittee on Aviation
    RE:      LSubcommittee Hearing on ``Preparing for Take-off: 
Examining Efforts to Address Climate Change at U.S. Airports''
_______________________________________________________________________


                                PURPOSE

    The Subcommittee on Aviation will meet on Tuesday, May 17, 
2022, at 1:00 p.m. EDT in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building 
and virtually via Zoom for a hearing titled, ``Preparing for 
Take-off: Examining Efforts to Address Climate Change at U.S. 
Airports.'' The hearing will examine the different 
infrastructure, technologies, federal programs, and other 
initiatives U.S. airports and airport stakeholders are 
utilizing to mitigate and prepare for the effects of climate 
change. The subcommittee will hear testimony from witnesses 
representing Alaska Airlines, Allegheny County Airport 
Authority, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, General 
Aviation Manufacturers Association, Portland International 
Airport, SkyNRG Americas, and ZeroAvia.

                               BACKGROUND

I. AVIATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

    In 2018, commercial, business, and general aviation 
aircraft (including passenger and all-cargo flights) accounted 
for nine percent of the U.S. transportation sector's carbon 
emissions and approximately three percent of all carbon 
emissions in the United States.\1\ Between 1970 and 2016, the 
energy intensity of air travel decreased by 75 percent due to 
improved aircraft fuel efficiency, air traffic operation 
initiatives, and aircraft configuration changes.\2\ However, 
additional steps are needed to reduce the growth in commercial 
aviation's carbon emissions and to comply with international 
reduction and offsetting requirements.
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    \1\ Environmental Protection Agency, Fast Facts: U.S. 
Transportation Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2018, available at: 
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100ZK4P.pdf. These figures 
do not include emissions from international flights departing the 
United States.
    \2\ Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Fact Sheet: The 
Growth in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commercial Aviation, (Oct. 17, 
2019), https://www.eesi.org/
papers/view/fact-sheet-the-growth-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-
commercial-aviation.
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    For instance, since 2009, aggregate carbon emissions from 
all aircraft types have grown steadily, increasing by almost 22 
percent between 2009 and 2018.\3\ This increase makes aircraft 
one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions in the 
U.S. transportation sector over the past decade.\4\ As of 2019, 
global aviation emissions were on track to triple by 2050, 
potentially accounting for as much as a quarter of all carbon 
emissions.\5\
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    \3\ Aviation, Air Pollution and Climate Change (CRS Report No. 
IF11696; 2022). Retrieved from Congressional Research Service website: 
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11696/2.
    \4\ Id.
    \5\ ICCT, CO2 Emissions from Commercial Aviation, (October 2020), 
available at: https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CO2-
commercial-aviation-oct2020.pdf.
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    As carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from aviation 
have grown, the international civil aviation community has made 
significant strides in recent years to address the impact of 
its emissions on the global climate. International advancements 
are being led by the International Civil Aviation Organization 
(ICAO), including the adoption of the Carbon Offsetting and 
Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which 
began in 2021 and is a market-based mechanism for offsetting 
future carbon emissions from aviation, and the adoption of the 
first-ever global design certification to measure carbon 
emissions from aircraft engines in 2017, to name a few.\6\ It 
is estimated that airport operations directly account for 
approximately two percent of the U.S. aviation sector's total 
carbon emissions.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ Federal Aviation Administration, 2021 United States Aviation 
Climate Action Plan, (November 2021), at 8, available at: https://
www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2021-11/
Aviation_Climate_Action_Plan.pdf.
    \7\ Airports Council International (ACI), Sustainability Strategy 
for Airports Worldwide, (November 2021), at 10, available at: https://
aci.aero/2021/11/16/aci-world-launches-inaugural-
sustainability-strategy-report-for-airports-worldwide/
#::text=In%20June%202021%2C%20ACI
%20member,management%20certification%20standard%20for%20airports.
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    Furthermore, airports' roles as critical transportation 
hubs make them particularly vulnerable to severe weather 
events. According to the 2017 National Climate Assessment, 13 
of the nation's 47 largest airports have at least one runway 
with an elevation within the reach of a moderate to high storm 
surge.\8\ The increasing intensity and frequency of severe 
storms, higher temperatures, and more frequent heat waves pose 
a significant risk to airports and have the ability to delay 
flights, interrupt supply chains, and disrupt airport 
operations if resiliency efforts are not properly undertaken in 
a timely manner.\9\
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    \8\ FAA, supra note 6 at 27.
    \9\ Id.
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II. EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AT U.S. AIRPORTS

A. INITIATIVES TO MITIGATE AIRPORT EMISSIONS AND INCREASE RESILIENCY

    The Airports Council International (ACI) World and five ACI 
regions, which together represent airports worldwide, committed 
to supporting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 
call to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by implementing 
a number of measures to help their members decarbonize their 
operations.\10\ Below is a short description of a few of these 
decarbonization measures:
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    \10\ ACI, Net Zero by 2050: ACI Sets Global Long Term Carbon Goal 
for Airports, (June 8, 2021), available at: https://aci.aero/2021/06/
08/net-zero-by-2050-aci-sets-global-long-term-carbon-goal-for-
airports/.
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     LImplementing Airport Energy Efficiency Measures. 
These include improvements in building design and materials, 
lighting upgrades, artificial intelligence-enabled control 
systems, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning 
upgrades.\11\
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    \11\ ACI, supra note 7 at 18.
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     LImplementing On-Site Power Generation. This 
includes combined heat and power plants, which recover waste 
heat from the generation of electricity, or on-site renewable 
energy, such as solar power or wind energy.\12\
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    \12\ Id.
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     LLow and Zero Emission Airport-Owned 
Transportation and Ground Support Vehicles. This can include 
the purchase or leasing of low and zero emission passenger 
buses, automated people mover systems, and ground support 
vehicles.\13\
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    \13\ See Id.

    In addition, U.S. airports--particularly those located near 
a coastline or large bodies of water--are susceptible to rising 
sea levels, flooding, and more intense, frequent severe weather 
patterns.\14\ In order to effectively prepare, prevent, and 
respond to extreme weather events, airports are investing in a 
wide range of resiliency measures.\15\ Such resiliency measures 
may include:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ Id. at 17.
    \15\ See Id.
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     LPerforming Climate Change Risk Assessments. This 
includes an assessment of climate risks, their impacts on 
airport infrastructure and operations, and incorporating 
response plans into an airport's master plan.\16\
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    \16\ Id.
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     LFlood Mitigation Measures. This includes 
increasing drainage capacity, infrastructure improvements to 
runways and taxiways, and the construction of sea walls to 
protect against the risk of flooding.\17\
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    \17\ Id.
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     LBuilding Resilience to Extreme Temperatures. This 
includes the installation of improved cooling systems for 
airport buildings and airfield changes, such as new tarmac 
materials and extensions to runways to accommodate the 
reduction in aircraft engine thrust that can result from high 
temperatures.\18\
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    \18\ Id.
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     LProtection of Biodiversity. This includes the 
prevention of deforestation and supporting the appropriate 
forest management practices to limit soil erosion and excess 
water runoff.\19\
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    \19\ Id.
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B. INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS AIRPORT STAKEHOLDER EMISSIONS

    Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Other Alternative Fuel 
Infrastructure

    In order to further reduce their carbon footprint and help 
achieve the aviation industry's goal of net zero greenhouse gas 
emissions by 2050, U.S. airports are collaborating with 
airlines and renewable fuel manufacturers to help facilitate 
the storage and distribution of low and zero emission aviation 
fuels.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\ See Id. at 18.
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    SAF, a type of jet fuel refined from biomass, waste 
streams, or gaseous carbon oxides, has emerged as a leading 
contender to reduce aviation emissions.\21\ Depending on the 
feedstock, SAF offers a carbon lifecycle reduction of up to 80 
percent when compared to conventional jet fuel.\22\ Unlike 
other lower emissions proposals, SAF is a drop-in fuel that 
works in existing aircraft and can utilize most of the fueling 
infrastructure already in place.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \21\ FAA, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, (March 10, 2021), available 
at: https://www.faa.gov/
about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/redac/media/environment/2021/
march/
envandenergy_mar2021_SAFUpdate.pdf.
    \22\ IATA, Developing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), available 
at: https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/sustainable-aviation-
fuels/.
    \23\ IATA, What is SAF, at 1, available at: https://www.iata.org/
contentassets/d13875e9ed784f75bac90f000760e998/saf-what-is-saf.pdf.
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    Several U.S. airports and airlines have started 
collaborating on expanding the use of SAF for commercial 
aircraft. For instance, SAF is currently being delivered to Los 
Angeles International Airport, where United Airlines has 
committed to using SAF for all departing flights.\24\ San 
Francisco International Airport has signed a recent memorandum 
of understanding with several airlines and fuel producers to 
work cooperatively on expanding the use of SAF at the 
airport.\25\
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    \24\ Los Angeles World Airports, LAX Welcomes World's Most Eco-
Friendly Commercial Flight as United Commits to LAX `Eco-Hub' with 
Purchase of Biofuel, (June 5, 2019), available at: https://
www.lawa.org/news-releases/2019/news-release-52.
    \25\ San Francisco International Airport, SFO Announces Landmark 
Agreement for Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels, (September 5, 2018), 
available at: https://www.flysfo.com/media/press-releases/sfo-
announces-landmark-agreement-use-sustainable-aviation-fuels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While SAF holds tremendous potential to help reduce carbon 
emissions in the aviation industry, significant barriers to 
widespread adoption remain. For instance, SAF is significantly 
more expensive to produce and purchase than conventional jet 
fuel.\26\ These high costs lead to SAF being produced in 
smaller quantities, resulting in limited availability.\27\ 
Today, SAF is estimated to account for just .05 percent of jet 
fuel use.\28\ Additionally, SAF must currently be blended with 
conventional jet fuel, although the low availability of SAF 
mitigates this issue in the short term.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \26\ Christina Brooks, Sustainable Aviation Fuel Still in Short 
Supply Due to Cost, HIS Markit (July 7, 2021), available at: https://
cleanenergynews.ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/
sustainable-aviation-fuel-market-still-in-infancy-due-to-
cost-.html#::text=SAF%20prices
%20are%20currently%20about,issues%20even%20more%20prominent%20today.
    \27\ Id.
    \28\ Elan Head, Understanding the Path to 100% SAF, The Air Current 
(April 13, 2022), available at: https://theaircurrent.com/technology/
path-to-100-saf-sustainable-aviation-fuel/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In order to fulfill President Biden's goal to reduce 
aviation emissions by 20 percent by 2030 and achieve a long-
term goal of zero-carbon aviation by 2050, the administration 
initiated a government wide ``SAF Grand Challenge'' to scale up 
production of SAF to at least three billion gallons per year by 
2030.\29\
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    \29\ Department of Energy, Memorandum of Understanding Sustainable 
Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, (September 8, 2021), available at: 
https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/S1-Signed-SAF-MOU-9-
08-21_0.pdf.
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    In addition to SAF, there are several other technological 
approaches currently being considered to help decarbonize the 
aviation sector. One of these approaches includes the 
development of full or hybrid electric aircraft, which operate 
using battery-powered electricity for power, rather than 
standard liquid fuels.\30\ Several airlines and advanced air 
mobility (AAM) companies are seeking to use this technology for 
smaller aircraft operating shorter flights.\31\ It is expected 
that existing airports and airport infrastructure, such as 
general aviation airports or heliports, will be utilized by 
these new, technologically advanced aircraft once deployed.\32\
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    \30\ Elissa Garay, Electric Planes Are Coming Sooner Than You 
Think, AFAR (March 2, 2022), available at: https://www.afar.com/
magazine/electric-planes-are-coming-sooner-than-you-think.
    \31\ Id.
    \32\ Community Air Mobility Initiative, Airports and Advanced Air 
Mobility: Integrating the Third Dimension into Metropolitan 
Transportation Systems, (September 3, 2020), available at: https://
www.nctcog.org/nctcg/media/Transportation/Committees/ATAC/2020/Website-
Presentations_9-3-20.pdf?ext=.pdf.
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    However, because battery-powered technologies aren't as 
energy dense as liquid fuels, and thus require additional bulk 
and weight to achieve a comparable amount of energy, battery-
powered aircraft face significant aerodynamic challenges.\33\ 
Such design and operational challenges are likely to affect the 
range and speed of battery-powered aircraft.\34\ Therefore, 
further technological developments are needed before 
electrification can be safely and economically adopted for 
medium and long-haul flights.\35\
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    \33\ Garay, supra note 30.
    \34\ Id.
    \35\ Id.
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    Hydrogen is another alternative fuel source being 
considered as a long-term option to help decarbonize the 
aviation sector. Hydrogen-powered aircraft produce zero carbon 
emissions and, depending on the technology used, can 
substantially reduce or even eliminate air pollutants such as 
nitrogen oxide (the primary byproduct of hydrogen combustion is 
water instead of carbon dioxide).\36\ A recent report on the 
potential of hydrogen-powered aviation found that such planes 
could enter the market as soon as 2035.\37\ Airbus committed to 
such an idea in September 2021, announcing its plans to field 
such an aircraft by 2035, with a technology demonstrator as 
soon as 2025.\38\ Then, in October 2021, Alaska Airlines 
announced a new partnership with ZeroAvia to develop a 
hydrogen-electric propulsion system capable of flying a 76-seat 
regional aircraft with a range of 500 nautical miles.\39\ 
However, reaching these goals will rely on a number of factors, 
including developing effective storage technologies and new 
ways of transporting hydrogen to airports so planes can be 
refueled on the tarmac.\40\
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    \36\ Eurocontrol, Are Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft the Future of 
Sustainable Aviation?, (May 18, 2021), available at: https://
www.eurocontrol.int/article/are-hydrogen-powered-aircraft-future-
sustainable-aviation.
    \37\ Id.
    \38\ Bellamy, Airbus CEO Keeps Commitment to 2035 Zero Emissions 
Airliner Timeline, Aviation Today (Feb. 19, 2021) available at: https:/
/www.aviationtoday.com/2021/02/19/airbus-ceo-keeps-commitment-2035-
zero-emissions-airliner-timeline/.
    \39\ Alaska Airlines, Alaska Air Group Collaborating with ZeroAvia 
to Develop Hydrogen Powertrain for 76-Seat Zero-Emission Aircraft, 
(October 26, 2021), available at: https://news.alaskaair.com/newsroom/
alaska-air-group-collaborating-with-zeroavia-to-develop-hydrogen-
powertrain-for-76-seat-zero-emission-aircraft/.
    \40\ Jonathan O'Callaghan, Quiet and Green: Why Hydrogen Planes 
Could be the Future of Aviation, Horizon (July 8, 2020), available at: 
https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/quiet-
and-green-why-hydrogen-planes-could-be-future-aviation.
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    While electric and hydrogen-propulsion, along with other 
alternative fuel technologies, have the potential to play a 
significant role in decarbonizing short and regional commercial 
flights in the coming decades, it remains uncertain as to the 
role they will play in reducing carbon emissions for the 
medium- and long-haul commercial flights that are projected to 
generate most of the aviation sector's carbon emissions in the 
coming years.\41\ Moreover, airports may need to invest in new 
infrastructure if many of these new options are to become 
viable. In fact, the committee recently reported favorably to 
the House H.R. 6270, the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure 
Modernization (AAIM) Act, which seeks to establish a pilot 
program to assist with the planning, development, and 
deployment of infrastructure necessary to facilitate AAM 
operations in the United States.\42\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \41\ See Garay, supra note 30.
    \42\ U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Leaders Release Statement 
On Passage of Aviation Bills, (April 28, 2022) available at: https://
transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/transportation-and-
infrastructure-committee-leaders-release-statement-on-passage-of-
aviation-bills
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    Other Initiatives

    In addition to facilitating the storage and delivery of 
alternative fuels for aircraft, U.S. airports have made 
necessary investments in infrastructure to help reduce 
emissions for airline-owned ground support vehicles, taxiing 
and parked aircraft, and other sources of emissions generated 
by an airport's stakeholders. Below is a brief description of 
these initiatives.
     LGate Electrification. Electric pre-conditioned 
air and ground power converter units can significantly reduce 
aircraft emissions associated with aircraft auxiliary power 
unit (APU) usage.\43\
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    \43\ See FAA, Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) Program, 
available at: https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/vale/media/
VALE-brochure-2020.pdf.
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     LAlternative Fuel Infrastructure. This includes 
providing charging stations and other refueling infrastructure 
for compressed natural gas, electricity, hybrid technologies, 
hydrogen, and other alternative fuel vehicles.\44\
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    \44\ Id.
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     LRemote Ground Power Units. This includes electric 
ground power converter units that reduce aircraft APU emissions 
by providing clean electricity to remote parking positions.\45\
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    \45\ Id.
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     LImproved Airfield Design. Improved airfield 
design can minimize aircraft taxi-times and minimize fuel 
burn.\46\
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    \46\ ACI, supra note 7 at 18.
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     LAirspace Design. Airports can collaborate with 
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines to 
provide fuel efficient standard departure and arrival routes 
for aircraft.\47\
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    \47\ Id.
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III. FEDERAL AIRPORT PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

A. VOLUNTARY AIRPORT LOW EMISSION PROGRAM AND AIRPORT ZERO EMISSION 
                    VEHICLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT PROGRAM

    Through participation in the Voluntary Airport Low 
Emissions (VALE) program, U.S. commercial airports can use FAA 
Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds and Passenger Facility 
Charge (PFC) revenue to finance low-emission vehicles, 
refueling and recharging stations, gate electrification, and 
other airport air quality improvements.\48\ The program is 
limited to commercial airports in ``non-attainment'' or 
``maintenance'' areas for one of the National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards.\49\ Since its creation in 2004, VALE grants 
have funded 133 projects at 59 airports and are expected to 
reduce ozone emissions by 1,703 tons per year for the next five 
years.\50\
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    \48\ FAA, supra note 43.
    \49\ Id.
    \50\ FAA, Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program (VALE), (April 
22, 2022), available at: https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/
vale/.
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    Similar to the VALE program, the Airport Zero Emissions 
Vehicle (ZEV) and Infrastructure Pilot program helps to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating the use of zero 
emissions technologies at airports.\51\ The program allows U.S. 
airports to use AIP funds to purchase zero emission vehicles 
and the necessary infrastructure to accommodate these 
vehicles.\52\ Since 2015, the program has funded 22 projects 
valued at over $60 million at 15 airports across the 
country.\53\
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    \51\ FAA, Airport Zero Emissions Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot 
Program, (April 22, 2022), available at: https://www.faa.gov/airports/
environmental/zero_emissions_vehicles/.
    \52\ Id.
    \53\ Id.
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B. ENERGY EFFICIENCY GRANTS

    The FAA administers AIP funding to airports for energy 
assessments to identify and implement energy reduction measures 
to reduce energy consumption across airport operations.\54\ 
Typical projects include light-emitting diode lighting or other 
energy efficiency measures.\55\
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    \54\ FAA, supra note 6 at 28.
    \55\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING

    The FAA administers AIP funding to airports for the 
development of airport sustainability plans.\56\ These plans 
address a broad array of environmental and energy activities, 
including recycling, green infrastructure, energy efficiency, 
renewable energy, water quality, and climate resilience, among 
other things.\57\ To date, the FAA has provided grants to 44 
airports under the program.\58\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \56\ FAA, Sustainability Plans, (April 22, 2022), available at: 
https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/sustainability/.
    \57\ Id.
    \58\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

D. NEXTGEN

    The FAA continues to develop and implement NextGen 
technologies and procedures to modernize the air traffic 
control system.\59\ NextGen programs include Performance-Based 
Navigation procedures (GPS-satellite based flight paths) and 
Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) deployment (a surface 
management solution), which will reduce aircraft fuel burn and 
create a more predictable and efficient flight and ground 
transportation system at airports.\60\ The TFDM system alone is 
expected to create 313 million gallons of fuel savings and 
reduce more than three million metric tons of carbon emissions 
over the life of the system.\61\ While the FAA is primarily 
responsible for deploying these NextGen programs, the agency 
coordinates with airports and other affected stakeholders on 
implementation.\62\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \59\ FAA, Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), 
(March 8, 2022), available at: https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/.
    \60\ United States. Cong. House. Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. Subcommittee on Aviation. Hearing on Putting U.S. 
Aviation At Risk: The Impact of the Shutdown Feb. 13, 2019. 116th 
Congress 1st sess. p. 12 (statement of Paul Rinaldi, President, 
National Air Traffic Controllers Association).
    \61\ Id.
    \62\ See FAA, Office of NextGen, available at: https://www.faa.gov/
about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

E. CONTINUOUS LOWER ENERGY, EMISSIONS, AND NOISE PROGRAM

    The FAA's Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise 
(CLEEN) program is the agency's principal environmental effort 
to accelerate the development of new aircraft and engine 
technologies.\63\ It has been instrumental to the certification 
of alternative jet fuels for safe use in civil aviation.\64\ In 
coordination with ASTM International, which oversees criteria 
for aviation jet fuels, CLEEN's combined efforts have led to 
the approval of seven alternative fuel types for use in civil 
aviation, as of April 2021.\65\ The next phase of the CLEEN 
program aims to continue the testing and qualification of new 
alternative jet fuels, with a focus on supporting blend levels 
of at least 50 percent.\66\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \63\ FAA, Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) 
Program, (September 10, 2021), available at: https://www.faa.gov/
newsroom/continuous-lower-energy-emissions-and-noise-cleen-
program#_Toc80621753.
    \64\ Id.
    \65\ Id.
    \66\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

F. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT

    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was 
enacted on November 15, 2021, and provides $25 billion over a 
five-year period for airport development and air traffic 
control projects.\67\ Specifically, the bill included $15 
billion in formula allocated funding for airport infrastructure 
projects, $5 billion in competitive grants for airport terminal 
projects, and $5 billion to upgrade and modernize FAA air 
traffic control towers and facilities.\68\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \67\ Pub. L. No. 117-58, Div. J (2021).
    \68\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While the IIJA has no dedicated funding for airport 
environmental projects, it does allow airports to use IIJA 
funds on an array of projects that could help airports meet 
their climate goals. For instance, the bill allows airports to 
use their airport infrastructure funding on VALE, ZEV, and 
other AIP eligible environmental projects.\69\ Additionally, 
under the IIJA's airport terminal program, the FAA will 
consider projects that improve energy efficiency, including 
upgrading environmental systems, upgrading plant facilities, 
and achieving energy efficient building design accreditation 
standards.\70\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \69\ Id.
    \70\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Finally, the IIJA requires that any amount of unobligated 
funding remaining in fiscal year 2026 in excess of $100 million 
be used to provide competitive grants for airport projects that 
``reduce airport emissions, reduce noise impacts to the 
surrounding community, reduce dependence on the electrical 
grid, or provide general benefits to the surrounding 
community.'' \71\ However, because this program relies on the 
availability of a specified amount of unobligated funding, its 
implementation cannot be guaranteed.\72\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \71\ Id.
    \72\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                               WITNESSES

     LAnn Ardizzone, Vice President, Supply Chain, 
Alaska Airlines
     LPaul Hoback, Jr., Executive Vice President and 
Chief Development Officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority
     LRobert Horton, Vice President of Environmental 
Affairs, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
     LPete Bunce, President and CEO, General Aviation 
Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
     LJennifer Bies, Director of Environmental 
Operations, Port of Portland
     LJohn Plaza, President and CEO, SkyNRG Americas
     LVal Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia

 
 PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF: EXAMINING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AT 
                             U.S. AIRPORTS

                              ----------                              


                         TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

                  House of Representatives,
                          Subcommittee on Aviation,
            Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:15 p.m. in 
room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building and via Zoom, Hon. Rick 
Larsen (Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
    Members present: Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. 
Davids of Kansas, Mr. Kahele, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Titus, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Lynch, Mr. 
Stanton, Ms. Norton, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, 
Mr. Balderson, Dr. Van Drew, Ms. Mace, Ms. Van Duyne, and Mrs. 
Steel.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. The subcommittee will finally 
come to order.
    I appreciate everyone's patience for the scheduling from 
this morning to this afternoon, DC time--still morning where I 
am from. So, good morning to all the people watching at home, 
and welcome this afternoon.
    I ask unanimous consent that the chair be authorized to 
declare a recess at any time during today's hearing.
    I might object to that after this morning, but without 
objection, so ordered.
    I also ask unanimous consent that Members not on the 
subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee at 
today's hearing and ask questions.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    As a reminder, please keep your microphones muted unless 
speaking. Should I hear any inadvertent background noise, I 
will request the Member please mute the microphone.
    To insert a document into the record, please remember to 
have your staff email it to [email protected].
    I now recognize myself for an opening statement.
    Good afternoon. Welcome to today's Aviation Subcommittee 
hearing entitled, ``Preparing for Takeoff: Examining Efforts to 
Address Climate Change at U.S. Airports.''
    As chair of this subcommittee, I am focused on continuing 
the movement to a cleaner and greener air transportation 
system.
    Aviation and aerospace are responsible for as much as 9 
percent of carbon emissions in U.S. transportation and close to 
3 percent of total emissions globally. Aviation emissions 
directly impact communities adjacent to the Nation's airports, 
as well, causing poor air quality, increased health risks, and 
reduced property values.
    A 2019 study that the University of Washington conducted 
found that communities underneath and downwind of aircraft 
landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are exposed to 
specific ultrafine particle pollution that is distinctly 
associated with aircraft. The study also found that affected 
communities are as far as 10 miles away from the airport 
itself.
    In response to global aviation emissions projections, the 
FAA--Federal Aviation Administration--released its first 
Aviation Climate Action Plan in November 2021. The FAA's plan 
calls for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the 
U.S. aviation sector by 2050 by implementing specific 
sustainability and environmental measures. Some of these 
measures already exist. For example, FAA's NextGen procedures 
such as performance-based navigation are already helping to 
reduce aircraft fuel burn and create more efficient flight 
routes.
    Development of the Aviation Climate Action Plan's proposed 
tools will need the support of Congress. These tools include 
production and distribution of cleaner fuels, such as 
sustainable aviation fuel; the use of alternative propulsion 
systems like electrification and hydrogen-powered aircraft; and 
the adoption of international initiatives like ICAO's Carbon 
Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, 
also known as CORSIA.
    Regarding SAF, I am working with Representative Nikema 
Williams on a discussion draft of legislation that would build 
off of language in the Build Back Better bill and provide 
Federal funding for SAF producers to build or scale up 
facilities and infrastructure for the production, storage, and 
distribution of SAF. This discussion draft has input from the 
FAA and an array of other aviation stakeholders, and I welcome 
input from subcommittee colleagues to help advance SAF as an 
emissions reduction tool.
    As Congress prepares for the next FAA reauthorization bill, 
this subcommittee must evaluate existing programs and policies 
aimed at reducing emissions from U.S. airports, while also 
looking forward to developing new tools to reduce the carbon 
footprint of the aviation sector.
    As airport emissions have come into sharper focus, airports 
themselves have taken steps to reduce emissions. The Airports 
Council International, or ACI, has adopted decarbonization and 
resiliency measures such as airport energy efficiency 
standards, use of low- and zero-emission transportation and 
ground support vehicles, climate risk assessments, and flood 
mitigation projects, among others.
    The Federal Government also supports various initiatives to 
help foster emission reduction technologies and strategies.
    The FAA's Voluntary Airport Low Emissions, or VALE, program 
allows airports to use Federal dollars to finance low-emission 
vehicles and related infrastructure, electric gate and gate 
equipment, and other airport quality improvements. FAA's 
Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise, or CLEEN, 
program helps accelerate the development of new aircraft and 
engine technologies, as well as alternative jet fuels for use 
in civil aviation.
    U.S. airports are also able to use Airport Improvement 
Program funds for energy reduction measures, sustainability 
planning, and the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and 
related infrastructure.
    Emerging aviation technologies, such as alternative fuels 
and aircraft propulsion systems, can also help reduce emissions 
at airports. While several airports and airlines are working to 
expand the use of SAF, there are significant barriers to its 
widespread adoption. High production costs have led to lower 
availability and higher prices, rendering SAF difficult to 
access for many carriers and airports.
    Another potential solution is the development of full or 
hybrid-electric aircraft, which operate using electric 
batteries for power. Several airlines and advanced air mobility 
companies are developing electric vertical takeoff and landing 
aircraft, or eVTOLs, for potential use for short-range flights. 
The full committee recently approved my bipartisan Advanced 
Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act to help airports and 
local communities plan these new aircraft.
    Finally, hydrogen is another option that may be a long-term 
solution to help decarbonize the aviation sector. Hydrogen-
powered aircraft emit water instead of carbon dioxide, leading 
to substantially reduced air pollutants. Yet there are still 
problems to solve with this technology, particularly around 
storage and transport of hydrogen to fuel aircraft.
    Today, we have a variety of witnesses who will speak about 
these ongoing efforts aimed at reducing aviation emissions, as 
well as needs for future reduction tools. I will just generally 
welcome our various airport representatives from Allegheny 
County Airport Authority, Dallas Fort Worth International 
Airport, and Port of Portland, who will discuss their 
strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change.
    I look forward to hearing from SkyNRG Americas on where SAF 
stands in the current market and what steps Congress can do to 
facilitate its adoption.
    U.S. airlines must be proactive in developing strategies to 
reduce carbon emissions from the industry, and I am pleased to 
have Alaska Airlines, our hometown airline in Seattle, join us 
to discuss its efforts to reduce emissions and how other 
airlines could achieve similar results.
    The General Aviation Manufacturers Association, or GAMA, is 
here as well to discuss advances in aviation manufacturing that 
can lead to reduced emissions.
    And finally, emerging fuel sources like hydrogen present 
long-term options to help decarbonize the aviation industry in 
the future. I am pleased to welcome ZeroAvia, which is building 
a major research and development facility at Paine Field in my 
district, to testify on their efforts to bring hydrogen-powered 
aircraft into the mainstream.
    I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses on where 
current efforts stand and the potential next steps to address 
these issues.
    While Congress, the administration, and industry are 
working to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change at 
U.S. airports, clearly there is more work to be done.
    Thank you, and I look forward to today's discussion.
    [Mr. Larsen of Washington's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress 
   from the State of Washington, and Chair, Subcommittee on Aviation
    Good afternoon and welcome to today's Aviation Subcommittee hearing 
titled ``Preparing for Takeoff: Examining Efforts to Address Climate 
Change at U.S. Airports.''
    As Chair of this Subcommittee, I am focused on continuing the 
movement to a cleaner and greener air transportation system.
    Aviation and aerospace are responsible for as much as 9 percent of 
carbon emissions in U.S. transportation and close to three percent of 
total emissions globally.
    Aviation emissions directly impact communities adjacent to the 
nation's airports, causing poor air quality, increased health risks and 
reduced property values.
    A 2019 study by the University of Washington found that communities 
underneath and downwind of aircraft landing at Seattle-Tacoma 
International Airport are exposed to a specific ultrafine particle 
pollution that is distinctly associated with aircraft.
    The study also found that affected communities are as far as 10 
miles away from the airport itself.
    In response to global aviation emissions projections, the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) released its first Aviation Climate 
Action Plan in November 2021.
    The FAA's plan calls for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas 
emissions in the U.S. aviation sector by 2050 by implementing specific 
sustainability and environmental measures.
    Some of these measures already exist. For example, FAA's NextGen 
procedures such as Performance-Based Navigation are already helping to 
reduce aircraft fuel burn and create more efficient flight routes.
    Development of the Climate Action Plan's proposed tools will need 
the support of Congress.
    These tools include:
      Production and distribution of cleaner fuels, such as 
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF);
      Use of alternative propulsion systems like 
electrification and hydrogen-powered aircraft; and
      Adoption of international initiatives like ICAO's Carbon 
Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, also known 
as CORSIA.

    Regarding SAF, I am working with Rep. Nikema Williams on a 
discussion draft of legislation that would build off language in Build 
Back Better and provide federal funding for SAF producers to build or 
scale up facilities and infrastructure for the production, storage and 
distribution of SAF.
    This discussion draft has input from the FAA and an array of other 
aviation stakeholders, and I welcome input from my Subcommittee 
colleagues to help advance SAF as an emissions reduction tool.
    As Congress prepares for the next FAA reauthorization bill, this 
Subcommittee must evaluate existing programs and policies aimed at 
reducing emissions from U.S. airports, while also looking forward to 
develop new tools to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation 
sector.
    As airport emissions have come into sharper focus, airports 
themselves have taken steps to reduce those emissions.
    The Airports Council International (ACI) has adopted 
decarbonization and resiliency measures such as airport energy 
efficiency standards, the use of low and zero emission transportation 
and ground support vehicles, climate risk assessments, and flood 
mitigation projects, among others.
    The federal government also supports various initiatives to help 
foster emission reduction technologies and strategies.
    The FAA's Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) program allows 
airports to use federal dollars to finance low emission vehicles and 
related infrastructure, electric gate and gate equipment and other 
airport quality improvements.
    FAA's Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) program 
helps accelerate the development of new aircraft and engine 
technologies, as well as alternative jet fuels for use in civil 
aviation.
    U.S. airports are also able to use Airport Improvement Program 
(AIP) funds for energy reduction measures, sustainability planning and 
the purchase of zero emission vehicles and related infrastructure.
    Emerging aviation technologies, such as alternative fuels and 
aircraft propulsion systems, can also help to reduce emissions at U.S. 
airports.
    While several airports and airlines are working to expand the use 
of SAF, there are significant barriers to its widespread adoption.
    High production costs have led to lower availability and higher 
prices, rendering SAF difficult to access for many carriers and 
airports.
    Another potential solution is the development of full or hybrid 
electric aircraft, which operate using electric batteries for power.
    Several airlines and advanced air mobility (AAM) companies are 
developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, 
for potential use for short-range flights.
    The full Committee recently approved my bipartisan Advanced 
Aviation Infrastructure Modernization (AAIM) Act to help airports and 
local communities plan for these new aircraft.
    Finally, hydrogen is another option that may be a long-term 
solution to help decarbonize the aviation sector.
    Hydrogen-powered aircraft emit water instead of carbon dioxide, 
leading to substantially reduced air pollutants.
    Yet, there are still problems to solve with this technology, 
particularly around storage and transport of hydrogen to fuel aircraft.
    Today's witnesses can speak to ongoing efforts aimed at reducing 
aviation emissions, as well as needs for future reduction tools.
    I would like to welcome our various airport representatives from 
the Allegheny County Airport Authority, Dallas-Fort Worth International 
Airport and Port of Portland, who will discuss their strategies for 
mitigating the impacts of climate change.
    I also look forward to hearing from SkyNRG Americas on where SAF 
stands in the current market and what steps Congress should take to 
facilitate its adoption.
    U.S. airlines must be proactive in developing strategies to reduce 
the carbon emissions from the industry.
    I am pleased to have Alaska Airlines join us to discuss its efforts 
to reduce emissions and how other airlines could achieve similar 
results.
    The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is here today 
to discuss the advances in aviation manufacturing that can lead to 
reduced emissions.
    Finally, emerging fuel sources, like hydrogen, present long-term 
options to help decarbonize the aviation industry in the future.
    I am pleased to welcome ZeroAvia, which is building a major 
research and development facility at Paine Field in my district, to 
testify on their efforts to bring hydrogen powered aircraft into the 
mainstream.
    I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses on where current 
efforts stand and potential next steps to address these issues.
    While Congress, the Administration, and industry are working to 
reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change at U.S. airports, 
there is more work to be done.
    Thank you, and I look forward to today's discussion.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. And with that I now call on the 
ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Garret Graves, for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. 
Chairman, I have heard from a lot of constituents over the past 
several weeks about aviation, and I have heard a lot of 
concerns about congestion at the airports, the inability to get 
through security.
    I have heard a lot about higher energy prices and how those 
are influencing higher ticket costs, which puts aviation travel 
out of reach for many of the constituents that we represent; 
the impact of the labor shortage that is resulting in canceled 
routes or canceled flights, and the adverse impact that that is 
having on families; and of course, things like new entrants 
into the aviation space, like advanced air mobility or drones, 
and how those might be able to help improve convenience.
    Mr. Chairman, today we are here to talk about the aviation 
sector's efforts to reduce emissions or to address climate 
change, and some of the efforts that have been undertaken by 
both airports and by airport stakeholders and airport 
operators, the aviation industry, new technologies. And it is 
interesting, because not too long ago, the committee had a 
hearing on noise pollution. And in that discussion, we talked 
about how, in recent years, we have seen extraordinary 
reductions, or great strides in reducing noise pollution as a 
result of aircraft, as a result of new engine technology, and 
as a result of quieter aviation systems.
    In fact, we talked then about advanced air mobility and 
drones, and how those are going to transform our skies, both 
from an emissions perspective, as well as continuing to move in 
a direction of lower noise or noise pollution.
    However, despite the fact that everyone was pretty excited 
about the rewrite of part 23, the FAA inexplicably has come in 
and decided that, instead of using that much-celebrated 
rewrite--as using it for the process by which we will be 
certifying advanced air mobility or drones, instead they have 
come in and totally reversed course, that they have opted 
instead to do everything in their power to get in their way, 
and instead to certify aircraft--these AAM vehicles--as special 
class aircraft. Baffling to me.
    There is no safety justification for the certification. It 
is just bureaucracy getting in the way of results. There are 
plenty of safety items with AAM that need to be worked through, 
things that we need to be addressing, things like operations, 
pilot training, fire suppression, aircraft security, 
integration into airspace, and much more. But the FAA and 
industry now have to spend their time on paperwork exercises 
and trying to cut through bureaucracy as they push schedules or 
timelines to the right.
    I would love to be talking about new technologies and how 
we are going to be able to use innovation and advanced 
technologies to reduce pollution as well as noise. But 
unfortunately, I think we are going to be continuing to talk 
about the bureaucracy that the FAA has created in this drone 
situation, and I think likely in many other situations moving 
forward.
    Returning to the topic today of emissions and mitigation 
and reduction at U.S. airports, I want to build off the notion 
already laid on the table that progress is most often achieved 
when Government gets out of the way and fosters collaboration 
with industry and itself.
    Aircraft engines are a great example of the collaboration. 
By working with industry, each successive generation of 
passenger aircraft and turbine engine has grown more and more 
efficient. As more Americans affordably and safely take to the 
skies, total emissions in the aviation industry have remained 
relatively static.
    And we are going to hear today from airports like 
Pittsburgh International Airport, that has designed their own 
microgrid, the first one in the world, as a matter of fact, 
reducing emissions, improving resiliency, and taking advantage 
of local resources.
    Looking at numbers, aircraft accounted for 9 percent--
aircraft accounted for 9 percent--of the U.S. transportation 
sector's carbon emissions and approximately 3 percent of all 
emissions overall in 2018. Airport operations are estimated to 
account for less than 2 percent of the aviation sector's total 
carbon emissions. And internationally, the civil aviation 
sector accounts for approximately 1.3 percent of global carbon 
emissions, and it is estimated the sector's contribution will 
increase in the coming decades.
    It's a great news story, but it shouldn't be lost on anyone 
that the United States is the global leader in reducing 
emissions and improving efficiency. But it is important to 
note, Mr. Chair, that for every 1 ton of emissions we have 
reduced in the United States, that China has increased by 4, 
even under their commitments in the Paris Accords. What right 
now is emitting greater than the United States, European Union, 
Japan, South Korea, and whichever other countries, they are 
going to increase another 50 percent between now and 2030. That 
is a move in the wrong direction.
    And I want to remind you, Mr. Chair, as we are seeing with 
Ukraine right now, countries like Russia, China, and others do 
not care about international norms, international commitments. 
There are differing opinions in the room on this issue, but I 
think we can agree that making smart and targeted investments 
in resiliency and aligning our policies accordingly are no-
regrets moves. We should be doubling and tripling down on the 
successful policies that are helping to improve the resilience 
of airports and the resilience of our environment. And I look 
forward to hearing from our witnesses on how Congress can help 
airports do just that.
    Thank you, I yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Representative Graves. 
The Chair recognizes the chair of the full committee, 
Representative DeFazio of Oregon, for an opening statement.
    Mr. DeFazio. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. This is a really 
important hearing examining different infrastructure, 
technologies, and other initiatives airports, stakeholders, and 
airlines are using to mitigate or, potentially in the future, 
mitigate the effects of aviation on carbon pollution and 
climate change.
    The recent WHO numbers for climate change were in terms of 
the ``single biggest health threat facing humanity,'' and the 
numbers we have had just this last week show that we are 
potentially going to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal, which 
was considered zero percent in 2015 by 2025. Things are 
accelerating.
    Aviation is growing tremendously. So, we do need a major 
focus on aviation. I have a little different figure in terms of 
the total impact than Ranking Member Graves, but it is small. 
But given the projections in growth, and given the fact that 
other sectors have more available immediate, off-the-shelf 
alternatives to reduce carbon, aviation will grow very quickly 
as a percentage of emissions.
    And I appreciate Alaska Airlines being here today, which is 
generally my go-to airline, being on the west coast, and the 
fact that they are working in many different ways, as are a 
number of the other airlines.
    I met with the Transport Minister from Great Britain just 
last week, and they are going to offer--and any airline 
anywhere in the world is eligible to participate--a substantial 
prize for the first company--of course, I don't think that is a 
route Alaska Airlines flies, but one of your partners would--to 
fly from Great Britain to the U.S. with 100 percent sustainable 
fuel. But the issue is, how are we going to produce those kinds 
of volumes? How are we going to distribute it?
    In the INVEST Act, we had substantial funding for the 
technology and the infrastructure that would be needed at 
airports. And as we move toward sustainable aviation fuels, 
unfortunately, the totally dysfunctional Senate, in writing its 
version behind closed doors, left out that provision, among 
many others, that could potentially deal with climate change, 
since the bill was written by climate deniers. And that is a 
shame.
    I hear the gentleman's frustration about the FAA. I share 
it. And I talked to Secretary Buttigieg last weekend and said 
we need a transformative manager, leader of the FAA.
    I will just point to one thing that is really irksome. We 
put one sentence in the last FAA reauthorization: Flight 
attendants shall have the same duty rest time--I hope the FAA 
is listening--as pilots. Somehow that had to go through a major 
rulemaking. That wasn't clear what that meant. That is total 
BS, to begin with.
    It is 4\1/2\ years later, and they haven't even forwarded 
that rule to the regulatory bureaucracy called OIRA and OMB, 
who should be eliminated. But it has got to go there before we 
can finally implement that one sentence. So, if they can't get 
something that simple done, how are they going to deal with 
these new complex issues? So, I share the gentleman's 
frustration with that.
    So, we are going to hear a lot today that is very 
interesting from the witnesses on what can be done in the air 
and on the ground to mitigate carbon emissions that are related 
to aviation. I am excited to hear the testimony.
    And with that, I would yield back the balance of my time.
    [Mr. DeFazio's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
   Prepared Statement of Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, a Representative in 
      Congress from the State of Oregon, and Chair, Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure
    Thank you, Chair Larsen, for calling this very important hearing 
today focused on examining the different infrastructure, technologies, 
and other initiatives U.S. airports and stakeholders are utilizing to 
mitigate and prepare for the effects of climate change.
    According to the World Health Organization, climate change is the 
``single biggest health threat facing humanity.'' In the decades ahead, 
the futures of our children and our grandchildren will directly depend 
on what we do today. But we shouldn't wait to act until we experience 
even more disastrous effects of climate change.
    Whether it's the increasing nature of 100-year storms or the 
massive wildfires and blistering heat waves that plagued my home state 
of Oregon last year, climate change is here and continues to present a 
growing threat to millions of Americans each and every day. That's why 
it is vital we do everything in our power to mitigate and prepare for 
it. But we are running out of time.
    Since signing the Paris climate agreement in 2015, the global 
community has focused on one climate goal: limiting global warming to 
1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the most 
severe effects of climate change. But as greenhouse gas emissions 
continue to grow, a recent report from the World Meteorological 
Organization shows there is a 50 percent chance global temperatures 
could temporarily hit this critical threshold within the next five 
years.
    The same report alleged that this probability is only increasing 
with time. For instance, in 2015, the chance of temporarily crossing 
that same threshold was zero, thus highlighting the frenetic pace of 
human-caused climate change.
    Unfortunately, the aviation industry's contribution to climate 
change has grown in recent years. While aviation currently only 
accounts for nine percent of transportation emissions and three percent 
of total emissions in the United States, aviation emissions have grown 
by 22 percent over the last decade, quickly becoming one of the fastest 
growing sources of emissions in the transportation sector. If left 
unaddressed, carbon emissions are on track to potentially triple by 
2050, accounting for a quarter of all carbon emissions.
    To be clear, much is being done in this space. As we will hear from 
the witnesses today, there have been record investments in sustainable 
aviation fuels (SAF), hydrogen fuel sources, and other innovative 
technologies that aim to reduce or even eliminate the aviation 
industry's growing carbon emissions.
    Moreover, the FAA has a range of programs designed to help 
airports, airlines, and other aviation stakeholders address climate 
change. This includes the Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) and 
Zero Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot programs, which help 
airports purchase low and zero emission vehicles, infrastructure, and 
other equipment to lower their carbon footprint and become more 
environmentally sustainable.
    It also includes important research programs, such as the 
Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program, which 
fosters partnerships with the private sector to conduct critical 
research on SAF, aircraft engine technologies, and other aviation 
environmental matters.
    But we need to do more!
    That's why last Congress I included a number of provisions in H.R. 
2, the Moving Forward Act, specifically aimed at addressing climate 
change in aviation. This included the creation of a dedicated funding 
program for airport environmental projects, making airport resiliency 
projects eligible for AIP funding, expanding the VALE program to all 
commercial airports--not just those in non-attainment areas--and the 
development of the first-ever grant program for SAF infrastructure 
projects and other low emission aviation technologies.
    While these provisions were not ultimately included in the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), I am hopeful that my 
colleagues consider these proposals--many of which are supported by the 
witnesses before us today--for inclusion in the next FAA 
reauthorization bill. I am also eager to learn how airports are using 
the record amount of IIJA funding they are set to receive to bolster 
their existing efforts to address climate change.
    When it comes to climate change, the consequences of inaction 
cannot be overstated. More severe and frequent storms, flooding, 
extreme heat, wildfires, droughts, and other environmental disasters 
will have profound effects on every aspect of human life. But it is my 
hope that the testimony we hear today will provide the committee and 
the aviation industry with real solutions to help tackle the climate 
crisis and provide a healthier, more sustainable future for generations 
to come.
    I look forward to hearing from the witnesses on this important 
issue. I yield back.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will 
introduce the witnesses now for the record.
    Ann Ardizzone, vice president of supply chain for Alaska 
Airlines.
    Then we will hear from Paul Hoback, Jr., executive VP and 
chief development officer for the Allegheny County Airport 
Authority, which oversees developments at the Pittsburgh 
International Airport.
    For Robert Horton, I want to turn and recognize 
Representative Van Duyne to introduce Mr. Horton.
    Ms. Van Duyne. Thank you very much. My district is home to 
DFW Airport, which is a great provider of thousands of jobs in 
our community. And this is one of the world's busiest 
international airports, and serves as the headquarters of one 
of the world's largest commercial airlines. DFW Airport is 
constantly at the forefront of innovation in leading the 
passenger experience.
    It is my pleasure to introduce Robert Horton, vice 
president of environmental affairs and sustainability for 
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. He also serves as the 
airport board's environmental and sustainability officer. 
Robert provides strategic and innovative leadership for DFW 
Airport's environmental and sustainability programs. He holds 
bachelor of science and master of engineering degrees in 
agriculture and biological engineering from the University of 
Florida. And in December 2019, he received the Distinguished 
Alumni Award.
    He has been formally recognized amongst trade and industry 
thought leaders as a champion for rapidly evolving aviation and 
sustainable operations, and he was selected to serve as a 
Commissioner for Alliance to Save Energy's U.S. Commission on 
Transportation Sector Efficiency for his leadership on 
environmental and sustainability issues.
    A proven leader throughout his career, with more than 20 
years of experience in the aviation and transportation 
industries, Robert's perspective will highlight the great work 
being done by DFW Airport.
    Robert, thank you for taking the time to speak with the 
committee, and I yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Representative Van 
Duyne. I am pleased to have Mr. Horton here.
    Next, after Mr. Horton, we will hear from Pete Bunce, the 
president and CEO of General Aviation Manufacturers 
Association.
    Then Jennifer Bies, the director of environmental 
operations for the Port of Portland.
    John Plaza will follow. He is the president and CEO of 
SkyNRG Americas.
    And then Val Miftakhov, who is the founder and CEO of 
ZeroAvia.
    So, I want to thank everyone for joining us today. We will 
now move to witness testimony.
    Without objection, witnesses' full statements will be 
included in the record.
    Since the written testimony has been made part of the 
record, the subcommittee requests that you limit your oral 
testimony to 5 minutes.
    With that, Ms. Ardizzone, finally, you may proceed.

  TESTIMONY OF ANN ARDIZZONE, VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPPLY CHAIN, 
ALASKA AIRLINES; PAUL HOBACK, Jr., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND 
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY; 
  ROBERT HORTON, VICE PRESIDENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND 
SUSTAINABILITY, DALLAS FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT; PETER 
   J. BUNCE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GENERAL 
AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION; JENNIFER BIES, DIRECTOR OF 
    ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATIONS, PORT OF PORTLAND; JOHN PLAZA, 
 PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SkyNRG AMERICAS, INC.; 
    AND VAL MIFTAKHOV, FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 
                            ZeroAvia

    Ms. Ardizzone. Thank you. Chairmen DeFazio and Larsen, 
Ranking Members Graves and Graves, and members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear at 
today's hearing.
    My name is Ann Ardizzone, and I am the vice president of 
the supply chain at Alaska Airlines, headquartered in Seattle. 
In this capacity, my team and I work across the company to 
ensure that our employees and guests have what they need to get 
from place to place and experience an airline that people love.
    In April 2021, Alaska Airlines announced sustainability 
goals. Near term, we aim to be the most fuel-efficient U.S. 
airline by 2025. We have been number-one before, and we plan to 
be there again. Longer term, we set an ambitious goal to 
achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2040. To get to net 
zero, we set a five-part path--
    Operational efficiency: As one example, we are the first 
airline to use a new software system to help dispatchers 
optimize flightpaths for safety and efficiency. We also look 
for efficiencies on the ground with our airport partners, like 
Portland and Pittsburgh, to support electric ground service 
equipment, and urge Congress to expand programs like VALE.
    Two, fleet renewal: We are modernizing our fleet with up to 
145 Boeing MAX aircraft, which are 25 percent more fuel 
efficient on a seat-by-seat basis.
    Three, sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF: This should be 
the immediate focus for carbon reduction and aviation, and I 
will talk more about this in a moment.
    Four, new propulsion technology, such as electric and 
hybrid-electric aircraft, including those using hydrogen: To 
make this a reality, Alaska announced a collaboration with 
ZeroAvia. One particularly exciting aspect of this project was 
the potential to take existing aircraft and adapt to hybrid or 
zero-emissions technology, as we need solutions that can build 
on existing aircraft fleets and infrastructure, and make 
practical sense for the industry as a whole.
    And five, carbon offsets: They play a role in our strategy, 
but we see them as a short-term solution. They will be 
necessary, depending on the pace and scale of our other 
efforts. We are focused on building a strategy for offsets that 
are credible, certified, and have offsetting capacity.
    But more about SAF. SAF is safe. It is available now. We 
don't have to make any changes to aircraft. It is certified, 
drop-in fuel that meets all jet fuel standards. It is also 
effective. SAF reduces carbon emissions by as much as 80 
percent on a life-cycle basis. With aviation's reliance on 
liquid fuels continuing, SAF is the critical lever the industry 
must use over the next several decades.
    But there are obstacles we need to work through, and here 
is where we need your help--
    There is a limited availability: We are proud of the SAF 
partners we have today, including SkyNRG, but the reality is 
SAF availability is well below 1 percent of total fuel demand.
    Cost parity: We need SAF to be commercially viable, meaning 
cost competitive, appropriately scaled, and reliably supplied. 
Cost and scale are the big challenges. SAF can cost two to six 
times more than conventional jet fuel. Simply put, the 
economics of SAF don't work yet.
    Alaska strongly supports those advocating for the SAF 
blender's tax credit to be the foundational Federal incentive 
policy. A meaningful SAF-specific tax credit is necessary to 
encourage investment in the sector, but also to eliminate the 
existing disincentives for SAF production versus other 
petroleum-based fuels, namely renewable diesel.
    Lack of infrastructure: Alaska also supports the AERO Act 
to create a grant program at DOT that would provide funding to 
enable SAF producers to construct facilities and scale up 
operations for production, transportation, and storage of SAF.
    Lack of equitable access, which is crucial to scaling a 
stable supply: Public policy and positive incentives should 
support airports across the country and provide equal access to 
SAF fuel to all carriers, as well as encourage supplier 
diversification. Creating a robust domestic SAF market will 
benefit our Nation's energy independence and create jobs across 
the country.
    In conclusion, Alaska Airlines is fully committed to this 
path. Sustainability is built into our values and is part of 
our commitment to communities. But we also know it is not 
possible on our own, and that is why we have articulated a 
long-term vision. But public policy is absolutely critical to 
enable the biggest steps forward to decarbonize aviation, 
particularly SAF.
    With that, I look forward to your questions.
    [Ms. Ardizzone's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Ann Ardizzone, Vice President of Supply Chain, 
                            Alaska Airlines
    Chairman Larsen and Ranking Member Graves, and distinguished 
members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on 
Aviation, thank you for the opportunity to appear at today's hearing. 
My name is Ann Ardizzone and I am the Vice President of Supply Chain at 
Alaska Airlines. In this capacity I work across our organization--and 
with our sister regional carrier Horizon Air--to ensure that our 
operation, employees and guests have what they need to not only get 
from place to place, but to experience an airline people love. It also 
means that my team and I are deeply engaged in helping the company meet 
its goals for the future and to ensure that we have a strong supply 
chain to support and drive innovations in aviation.
    This year Alaska Airlines is celebrating our 90th anniversary. We 
have always taken a balanced, long-term approach to running our 
business, and that's why we are here today, ready to deliver for the 
next generation who depend on us. Alaska Airlines is the 5th largest 
U.S. carrier. We are the only major airline based on the West Coast, 
with our headquarters in Seattle and additional hubs in Los Angeles, 
San Francisco, Portland, and Anchorage. With more than 1,000 flights 
per day across North America--spanning from Hawaii to Washington, 
D.C.--we operate and employ people in urban centers and rural areas 
across the U.S., as well as in Canada, Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica. 
As a member of the oneworld alliance, our passengers, whom we call 
guests, can reach over 900 destinations in more than 170 countries and 
territories. We are also the only pre-deregulation passenger airline 
still operating a dedicated freighter fleet in the U.S.
    We are committed to safety as our number one value, to exceptional 
caring service for our guests and communities, and to offering low 
fares enabled by maintaining low costs and running our business in a 
fiscally conservative way. We are proud to be one of the few airlines 
that has never filed for bankruptcy.
    We brought those same historical commitments and values to 
addressing the challenges brought on by the pandemic. The entire 
aviation industry--labor, airports, airlines and government--
collaborated in an unprecedented way to meet this moment.
    Throughout the pandemic, Alaska Airlines didn't lose track of what 
is important: Leading with our values. As we return to growth, it is an 
opportunity to rebuild responsibly and embed these values even deeper 
in our culture and our business.
    In April 2021, Alaska Airlines announced our new 2025 
sustainability goals across the most important areas of impact for the 
company, including near-term goals to be the most fuel-efficient U.S. 
airline by 2025. The company also set an ambitious goal to achieve net 
zero carbon footprint by 2040. That strategy leverages operational best 
practices and next-generation disruptive technology to transform and 
reduce the long-term climate impact of aviation--another area we will 
continue to need to partner with government on as we modernize in this 
next age of aviation, and the topic of today's hearing. To turn our 
sustainability commitment into real action, we tied company-wide 
performance-based pay to measurable progress--because that's what 
creates deep organizational and cultural change. And we are proud that 
the sustainability efforts of our employees have been recognized among 
the TIME100 Most Influential Companies in 2022 and contributed to 
Alaska Airlines being named the worldwide 2022 Airline of the Year by 
Air Transport World.
    This isn't easy work--aviation is a difficult sector to 
decarbonize. We love airplanes and we know that connecting people is 
critical to businesses and families alike. We also know that we burned 
656 million gallons of jet fuel in 2021 to get people and cargo from 
point A to point B--and we've got to do that more sustainably. Our 
``flight plan'' as we call it includes five parts, each of which have 
an aspect related to our operations at U.S. airports as well as in our 
skies. [See Exhibit 1]. In 2021, Alaska Air Group also launched and 
funded Alaska Star Ventures LLC, an investment arm with a primary focus 
on identifying and supporting companies working on emerging green 
technologies, because we know that much of the path ahead relies on 
innovation and expanding access to new options--and that work will take 
all of us.
    Here's our five-part plan--I'll describe what Alaska Airlines is 
working on with our partners but also the opportunity for government 
collaboration to advance each part for the industry, airports and 
communities we serve:
    1.  Operational efficiency
    2.  Fleet renewal
    3.  Sustainable Aviation Fuel
    4.  New propulsion technology
    5.  Carbon offsets
                       1. Operational Efficiency
    At Alaska Airlines, we explore every opportunity to reduce fuel 
burn and emissions within our operation. Alaska Airlines has a long 
history of prioritizing operational efficiency and continues to stay 
laser focused on continual improvement in this area. In the air, Alaska 
Airlines is the first domestic airline to use a new software system 
that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help our 
dispatchers determine the safest and most efficient flight plans. So 
far, we've optimized 20,869 flights--about 10% of all flights--with a 
net savings of 241 pounds of fuel per flight optimized.
    We also look to find efficiencies on the ground through company 
policies like turning off auxiliary engines and plugging in to 
preconditioned air at the gate, or single engine taxi when possible. 
Executing an efficient aircraft turn has the potential to save 469 
pounds of CO2 from being emitted which is the equivalent of 
driving a car 535 miles, or driving from Washington, D.C. to Detroit.
    Working to address climate change impacts and find efficiencies on 
the ground requires close partnership with our airports and will 
require investment from the federal government. These projects are 
important not only for the broader impact on climate, but for impact to 
airport communities close to home. These relationships between airlines 
and airports work best when we have shared goals and commitments on 
reducing the carbon impact of travel and finding creative solutions 
together, without resorting to mandates or punitive policies.
    There are success stories of airports working with airlines to 
simultaneously invest and seek funding for electric ground-service 
equipment (eGSE) and the required electric and charging infrastructure 
needed to support eGSE. A real challenge is not necessarily the 
procurement of eGSE equipment itself, it is insufficient charging 
stations and limited space for charging eGSEs. I need to know, as VP of 
Supply Chain, that the equipment is the right investment and will be 
able to be used.
    Today Alaska Airlines' GSE fleet is 34% electric and by 2025 our 
GSE fleet will be 50% more efficient than it was in 2020. We are 
working with airports across the country to meet this goal including 
the Port of Portland (PDX) and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) 
represented here today. We are actively supporting PDX on numerous 
projects that will result in lower carbon emissions, including gate 
electrification and ground equipment charging stations, as well as 
supporting their hydrothermal groundwater heating system. With regard 
to PIT, Alaska Airlines supported their FAA Voluntary Airport Low 
Emissions (VALE) grant application to provide electrical upgrades at 
gates, as well as purchasing preconditioned air for existing jet 
bridges which will allow Alaska Airlines to discontinue use of 
auxiliary power units (APUs) while at the gate and reduce fuel burn and 
emissions.
    Ensuring that the electric capabilities at the airport and the 
infrastructure to the gate all the way to the charging stations are an 
airport function but can be costly. Many airports in the U.S. are over 
50 years old and will require electrical infrastructure upgrades. These 
projects often are in excess of $10 million, depending on the airport. 
When the electrical infrastructure is available, bringing the 
electricity outside of the terminal to install charging ports can cost 
between $65,000 to $80,000 per gate.
    One way that Congress can continue to support the industry-wide 
adoption of electric ground service equipment is through an expansion 
of FAA's VALE program to support this critical airport infrastructure. 
Currently the VALE program allows airports to take proactive steps to 
improve air quality and reduce emissions in non-attainment (poor air 
quality) and maintenance areas according to the National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards (NAAQS). Eligible projects include eGSE like bag tugs 
and belt loaders, natural gas refueling stations, electric gates and 
terminals, and electric preconditioned air and ground power converter 
units. This program should be expanded to allow eligibility at airports 
not just airports based on limited air quality metrics. There are many 
airports around the country that would benefit from this expansion and 
is something Alaska Airlines supports, along with our trade 
association, Airlines for America (A4A).
                            2. Fleet Renewal
    The second component of our flight plan is fleet renewal to 
modernize our aircraft and improve efficiency. We currently operate a 
mainline fleet of 227 aircraft. Last year, we placed a large order with 
Boeing and have added 21 new 737 MAX to our fleet, with orders and 
options for 124 more through 2026 as we transition to a single fleet. 
The new aircraft are more than 20% more fuel efficient on a seat-by-
seat basis than the aircraft they are replacing, and we continue to 
work with Boeing and other manufacturers on ways to improve efficiency 
over time.
    When it comes to working with our manufacturers to improve the 
efficiency of modern aircraft, we have seen great examples of 
government funded research turn into development of new designs and we 
urge continued investments. Back in 2017, Alaska Airlines retrofitted 
all eligible 737s with split-scimitar winglets (turned up extensions at 
the tips of the wings). These increased our fuel efficiency by 3% to 5% 
per aircraft, and winglets are now standard on all new aircraft ordered 
and delivered.
    Continued and enhanced Congressional support for the various 
research and development programs supporting advancement in aviation 
are key to continued modernization of aircraft--winglets are just one 
example. These programs include both the Center of Excellence for 
Alternative Fuels and Environment (ASCENT)--which is funded by the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, Transport Canada and 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--and the FAA's Continuous 
Lower Energy Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Program, among other programs 
at FAA, NASA, Department of Energy (DOE), etc.
                   3. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
    With aviation's reliance on liquid fuels continuing for the coming 
decades, SAF must be the immediate focus for carbon reduction in 
aviation. It is the critical lever the industry must utilize over the 
next several decades. SAF is a safe, certified drop-in fuel that meets 
all jet fuel standards and reduces carbon emissions by as much as 80% 
on a lifecycle basis. Alaska Airlines has been engaged with SAF 
development, testing and deployment for over a decade through our 
partnerships with Gevo (development and test flight), Neste (SFO 
utilization), Boeing (delivery flights), and Washington State 
University and the Port of Seattle (feedstock research and delivery). 
In addition, Alaska Airlines participates in several industry 
workgroups that help advance the research, development, demonstration, 
and production of SAF.
    In 2021 Alaska Airlines announced a Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) with SkyNRG Americas to collaborate on the advancement of SAF 
production. Under the MOU, SkyNRG Americas will initially focus on the 
development of dedicated SAF production facilities to supply Western 
U.S. airports. This collaboration builds on the industry leading Alaska 
Airlines-Microsoft partnership announced in October 2020, aiming to use 
SAF to offset Microsoft employee travel between Seattle and San 
Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles.
    However, current SAF availability is well below 1% of total fuel 
demand, and the cost can be two to six times more than the price of 
conventional jet fuel. Scaling this market requires concurrently 
addressing price and production in order to enable the commercial 
viability of SAF. In the attached infographic [See Exhibit 2] we 
identify six key areas that require industry and government involvement 
and collaboration to ensure a scalable and viable market for SAF to be 
developed successfully in the near future:
    1)  Commercial-Scale Feedstock Quantities
    2)  Facilities for Production, Refining, Blending
    3)  Transportation & Storage
    4)  Pricing, Purchase & Accounting
    5)  Engine Infrastructure
    6)  Operations & Customer Demand

    Alaska Airlines is pleased to see the increased focus on SAF from 
this Administration and from bipartisan members of Congress to address 
many of these key areas. Both the Administration's Aviation Climate 
Action Plan and the SAF Grand Challenge recognize SAF's key role in 
decarbonizing aviation. It will take positive incentive policies and 
collaboration between government and industry to make these collective 
goals a reality.
    There is a broad coalition of stakeholders that are actively 
advocating for a SAF blender's tax credit to be the foundational 
federal incentive policy to develop the SAF market, something Alaska 
Airlines strongly supports. I'd like to thank the bipartisan members of 
this Committee who are championing this effort with the Sustainable 
Skies Act (H.R. 3440/S. 2263). This is a SAF-specific blender's tax 
credit of $1.50-$2.00 per gallon and would promote and accelerate 
investment in the nascent domestic SAF industry. A robust SAF-specific 
tax credit is necessary to encourage investment in the sector and 
eliminate the existing disincentives for SAF production versus other 
ground-based alternative fuels, especially renewable diesel.
    Alaska Airlines also supports the Aviation Emissions Reduction 
Opportunity (AERO) Act (S. 3125) which mirrors a provision the House 
has previously supported in past infrastructure bills to create a grant 
program at DOT that would provide funding to enable SAF producers to 
construct facilities and establish or scale up operations for 
production and storage of SAF, as well as support other low-emission 
aviation technologies.
    In addition to these policies, the US government should continue to 
invest in research and development, as well as approvals and 
certifications, of new pathways and feedstocks for SAF. We are open to 
discussing additional policies that will ensure that infrastructure 
investments are made to support transport of SAF from production and 
blending facilities to airports, as well as policies that unlock 
private sector investment in this market.
    Equitable access to SAF will be crucial to scaling a stable supply 
chain we can rely on in the future. We view this as a collective effort 
not only within the industry but with government. Public policy and 
positive incentives should support airports across the country, and 
carriers of all sizes, as well as a diversity of suppliers and 
producers in order to advance and scale a mature and competitive 
commercial SAF market. Creating a robust domestic SAF market will 
benefit our nation's energy independence, create jobs across the 
country, and ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in aviation 
innovation.
    I look forward to working with this Committee--and others--to 
explore additional ways to ensure the policies, capital, and 
infrastructure investments are in place to meet the challenge.
                      4. New Propulsion Technology
    SAF is the biggest opportunity to decarbonize aviation, 
particularly medium- and long-haul flying. But there are other 
propulsion technologies emerging for longer-term impact to aviation, 
starting with regional.
    One example is the potential for electric and hybrid-electric 
aircraft, including those using hydrogen, to play a role in 
decarbonizing regional aviation within the next two decades. To help 
make that a reality, Alaska Airlines announced a collaboration with 
ZeroAvia to begin development on a hydrogen-electric powertrain engine 
capable of flying regional aircraft. The partnership will explore 
deployment of ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric propulsion technology into a 
full-size 76 seat De Havilland Q400 aircraft, previously operated by 
Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air. To support this initiative, 
ZeroAvia will join Alaska Airlines in our new hanger at Paine Field 
Airport in Everett, WA so that our maintenance and engineering teams 
can support each other. One particularly exciting aspect of this 
project was the potential to take existing aircraft and adapt to hybrid 
or zero emissions technology, as we need solutions that can build on 
existing aircraft fleets and infrastructure and make practical sense 
for the industry as a whole.
    The AERO Act and new research and development investment 
opportunities and tax credits for electric vehicles will be essential 
to ensuring continued innovation in this space. When it comes to 
airports supporting these types of new aircraft in the future, Congress 
should consider policies that address already constrained airport 
infrastructure, airspace and capacity as well as the electric and other 
infrastructure support that would be needed to support new propulsion 
technologies and existing operations.
                       5. Credible Carbon Offsets
    Finally, Alaska Airlines believes that carbon offsets should be a 
last resort effort to reach net zero, but we also know that they will 
likely be necessary--in volumes that depend upon the pace and scale of 
progress in the steps above. Knowing that aviation is one of the 
hardest sectors to decarbonize, we will leverage credible carbon 
offsets, within parameters we're developing with scientific advisors, 
to close any remaining gaps to our targets. For now, for guests looking 
to offset their own carbon footprint we have partnered with The Good 
Traveler, a program founded by the San Diego International Airport and 
now used by over 20 airports, including Dallas Fort Worth International 
Airport (DFW).
                               Conclusion
    In conclusion, Alaska Airlines is committed to creating a 
sustainable future for aviation, working with partners, including 
airports and government, on all aspects of our five-part path toward 
net zero by 2040. This is a long-term journey and it will take all of 
us. This work is exciting and critically important not only to those of 
us who are working on it, but it matters to our guests and corporate 
customers, people applying for jobs at our airline, and people who live 
in the communities we care about. Ultimately if we are going to be 
responsible to all those stakeholders--as well as our owners and 
others--we do feel pressure to make sure we are moving in the right 
direction.
    While we no doubt have challenges that we need to work through, I 
have confidence we are on the right path. Thank you to the Subcommittee 
on Aviation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 
for holding today's hearing and exploring best practices and policies 
to meet these challenges in a collaborative effort.

       Exhibit 1_Alaska Airlines Flight Plan to Net Zero by 2040
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                  Exhibit 2_SAF_Meeting the Challenge
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you very much.
    I now turn to Mr. Paul Hoback, Jr., of the Allegheny County 
Airport Authority. Mr. Hoback, you are recognized for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Hoback. Good afternoon, Chairman Larsen. Thank you so 
much. And good afternoon, Ranking Member Graves and members of 
the Aviation Subcommittee. My name is Paul Hoback. I am 
executive vice president and chief development officer at the 
Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh 
International Airport.
    We are a medium-sized hub airport with growing passenger 
traffic that reached nearly 10 million passengers in 2019. 
Likewise, our cargo operation has grown dramatically over the 
past several years as an alternative to congested large gateway 
airports. Our airport sits atop 8,800 acres of land and is 
among the largest airport campuses in the country. It enables 
us to be an economic driver for our region while providing 
opportunities to innovate.
    Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today about 
the efforts to address climate change at airports.
    We know that the industry, like so many, needs to change. 
And at Pittsburgh International, we are leading the way through 
both broad and focused efforts. For us, the biggest is the 
installation of the world's first airport microgrid that makes 
us entirely self sufficient for power generation while 
significantly decreasing our carbon footprint at the same time.
    After seeing the impact of power failures at other 
airports, we identified four goals for this project: to improve 
airport resiliency and reliability; support our sustainability 
goals; lower our electricity costs; and support the local 
natural gas industry. We discovered the best way to do this was 
through an airportwide microgrid powered by natural gas and 
solar energy.
    Our microgrid began operation in the summer of 2021, and 
the effects were immediate. The 23-megawatt microgrid serves as 
the primary electric power source for the terminal and airport 
campus. It includes 5 natural gas-fired generators and nearly 
10,000 solar panels that produce energy equivalent to powering 
more than 13,000 homes. Any excess power not used onsite is 
exported to the grid. By utilizing cleaner energy versus 
importing it from the grid, our microgrid provides a yearly 
carbon reduction of over 8 million pounds, the equivalent of 
eliminating 9 million miles driven by passenger cars.
    The solar array is constructed atop 8 acres of an old 
landfill site, a practice the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection is looking to duplicate in other parts 
of the State. We are in plans right now to double the number of 
solar panels in the very near future by maximizing the 
available space used for solar on this landfill.
    We understand the decarbonization goals within our 
industry, and we are fortunate to be able to tap into a natural 
resource of our campus, where we have 14 Marcellus Shale wells. 
We recognize that the industry must move incrementally, 
primarily due to safety and cost factors, and we view natural 
gas as a transitional step that will propel the aviation 
industry into the future.
    As for the focused steps toward our goals, we make them 
everywhere. We are one of the few airports in the country with 
apiaries--ours with 200 colonies housing over 6 million bees--
as we contribute to rebuilding the honeybee population across 
thousands of acres of airport land. We also house an innovation 
lab, in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, our 
xBridge, where we are testing sustainable technologies to 
improve efficiencies in our airport.
    While others in the industry may have slowed down in the 
face of the pandemic, we kept moving forward. In the fall of 
2021, we broke ground to reshape the future of travel in our 
region through our terminal modernization program. Our 30-year-
old facility, built to serve one major airline as a hub, will 
be right-sized and better aligned to meet the needs of the over 
2 million people who call Pittsburgh home. We will reduce long-
term costs through operating and maintenance efficiencies.
    Our new terminal, the first to be designed in a post-
pandemic world, will be built by Pittsburgh. Eighty-one percent 
of the construction contracts have been awarded to local 
companies that will utilize locally sourced and fabricated 
materials like steel, concrete, and wood.
    Sustainability will be a key focus of the new facility into 
the future. The new facility will feature outdoor terraces, 
both pre- and post-security, to ensure access to fresh air for 
our passengers and employees. During construction, a minimum of 
75 percent of waste generated will be recycled and reused, 
including concrete from existing airfield ramps that will be 
reused for new roads. Additional plans include rainwater 
harvesting, other water conservation efforts, and many more 
sustainable initiatives.
    Airports play a valuable role in transforming the aviation 
industry through broad and focused initiatives. At Pittsburgh 
International Airport, we are leading the way through 
innovation and would welcome others to join us on that journey.
    I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the 
subcommittee today. I look forward to answering any questions 
you may have. Thank you so much for your time and for all that 
you do.
    [Mr. Hoback's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Paul Hoback, Jr., Executive Vice President and 
     Chief Development Officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority
    Good afternoon, Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves and members 
of the Aviation subcommittee. I am Paul Hoback, Jr., Executive Vice 
President & Chief Development Officer at the Allegheny County Airport 
Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International Airport.
    We are a medium-size hub airport with growing passenger traffic 
that nearly reached 10 million passengers in 2019. Likewise, our cargo 
operation, particularly international cargo, has grown dramatically 
over the past several years as an alternative to congested large 
gateway airports. Our airport sits atop 8,800 acres and is among the 
largest airport campuses the country. It enables us to be an economic 
driver for our region while providing opportunities to innovate.
    Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the 
efforts to address climate change at airports.
    We know that the industry, like so many, needs to change. And at 
Pittsburgh International Airport we are leading the way through both 
broad and focused efforts.
    For us, the biggest is the installation of the world's first 
airport microgrid to become entirely self-sufficient for power 
generation while significantly decreasing our carbon footprint at the 
same time.
    After reading reports of power failures within similar 
institutions, we identified four goals; to improve airport resiliency 
and reliability, support our sustainability goals, lower our 
electricity costs, and support the local natural gas industry. We 
discovered the best way to do this was through an airport-wide 
microgrid powered by natural gas and solar energy. The microgrid began 
operation in summer 2021, and the effects were immediate.
    The 23-megawatt microgrid serves as the primary electric power 
source for the PIT terminal and airport campus. It includes five 
natural gas-fired generators and nearly 10,000 solar panels that 
produce energy equivalent to powering more than 13,000 homes. The 
airport's peak demand is approximately 14 megawatts. Any excess power 
not used on site can be exported to the grid. By utilizing cleaner 
energy, versus importing it from the grid, the microgrid provides a 
yearly carbon reduction of over 8 million pounds; the equivalent of 
eliminating nearly 800 cars from the road or 9 million miles driven by 
passenger cars.
    The solar array is constructed atop eight acres of an old landfill 
site; a practice the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 
Protection is looking to duplicate in other parts of the state. We are 
in plans to double the number of solar panels in the near future.
    The microgrid offers us resiliency in the event of a grid blackout 
or cyber-attack and an opportunity to utilize cleaner forms of energy 
generated locally. The microgrid is also inspiring change in the 
industry: in 2020 it was recognized as a ``World Changing Idea'' by 
Fast Company magazine, and in 2021 it won both the American Association 
for Airport Executives' (AAAE) Outstanding Sustainability 
Infrastructure Development and the Airports Council International's 
(ACI) North America Environmental Achievement Award for Innovation.
    We understand the decarbonization goals within our industry and we 
are fortunate to be able to tap into a natural resource of our campus, 
where we have fourteen Marcellus shale wells. We recognize that the 
industry must move incrementally, primarily due to safety and cost 
factors and we view natural gas as a transitional step that will propel 
the aviation industry into the future.
    As for the focused steps toward our goals, we make them everywhere: 
from providing free electric vehicle charging stations to airport 
customers, to adding water bottle filling stations throughout our 
terminals--saving more than 300,000 plastic bottles in 2021. We are one 
of a few airports in the country with apiaries on site as we contribute 
to rebuilding the honeybee population across thousands of acres of 
airport land. We also house an innovation lab, in partnership with 
Carnegie Mellon University, the xBridge, where we are testing 
technology to improve efficiencies in our airport. One of those 
projects is a natural purifier that uses algae to reduce carbon dioxide 
and increase oxgyen--a concept we are studying to bring to our 
terminals.
    While others in the industry may have slowed down in the face of 
the pandemic, we kept moving forward. In fall 2021, we broke ground to 
reshape the future of our region through our Terminal Modernization 
Program. Our 30-year-old facility, built accordingly to serve one major 
airline and connecting travel as a hub, will be right-sized and better 
aligned to the needs of the over 2 million people who call Pittsburgh 
home. We will reduce long-term costs through operating and maintenance 
efficiencies. An updated design will allow for an expanded security 
checkpoint, the elimination of a costly train, a newly configured 
international arrivals process, the implementation of modern technology 
throughout the terminal and an efficient baggage delivery system, among 
other improvements. It will be also built by Pittsburgh--81% of the 
construction contracts have been awarded to local companies, that will 
utilize locally-sourced and fabricated materials like steel, concrete 
and wood.
    Sustainability will be a key focus of the new facility into the 
future. The new facility will feature outdoor terraces--both pre- and 
post-security--to ensure access to fresh air for passengers.
    During construction, a minimum of 75 percent of waste generated 
will be recycled or reused, including concrete from existing airfield 
ramps that will be reused for new roads. Additional plans include 
rainwater harvesting and other water conservation efforts. We will 
achieve, at a minimum, LEED Silver but striving toward Gold 
certification.
    Airports play a valuable role in transforming the aviation 
industry, through broad and focused initiatives. At Pittsburgh 
International Airport, we are leading the way through innovation; and 
would welcome others with us on that journey.
    I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the subcommittee. I 
look forward to answering any questions you may have.
                                                           Appendix
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               Pittsburgh International Airport Microgrid

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                               Solar Farm

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                            Outdoor Terrace

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                           Bees at our apiary

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                   Wood paneling in our new terminal

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Hoback. I now 
recognize Robert Horton of DFW.
    Mr. Horton, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Horton. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone.
    Congresswoman Van Duyne, thank you for the kind 
introduction. Chairman DeFazio, Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member 
Graves, and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate the 
opportunity to testify about sustainability and resiliency 
programs at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
    DFW's history of leadership on climate action has 
positioned the airport to articulate the unique challenges U.S. 
airports face. In 2016, DFW became the first carbon-neutral 
airport in North America, and 1 of 70 airports globally. Only 
three U.S. airports have achieved this distinction. Then, at 
the U.N. COP26 event in Glasgow last November, we announced an 
ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, two 
decades ahead of the industry target.
    Our holistic approach to sustainability complements 
business performance. For example, without purchasing 100 
percent of our electricity from renewably generated sources, 
electricity would represent the largest component of our carbon 
footprint. So, when we transition to purchasing renewable 
electricity, we leverage innovative procurement methods to 
reduce electricity costs and our carbon footprint.
    The largest remaining component of our carbon footprint, 
almost two-thirds, is facility heating from using natural gas 
boilers to heat our terminals. We developed plans for a new 
electric central plant, utility plant, that formed the 
cornerstone of our roadmap to net zero, and addressed our top 
emission source.
    Another significant component of our carbon footprint is 
our fleet, including 700 gasoline, diesel, and compressed 
natural gas vehicles. Last August, DFW deployed the first 
electric airside buses. In addition, we accessed FAA's Zero-
Emissions Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot Program Grants to 
continue transitioning to electric-vehicle alternatives. Access 
to FAA's VALE program discretionary grants support our 
decarbonization initiatives and those of our airline partners 
by increasing electric charging infrastructure.
    Societal demands for airports are likely to surge in the 
coming years, especially in the fastest growing metropolitan 
area in the Nation.
    In addition, the broad demand for mass electrification at 
airports may pose new and uncertain operational challenges. 
This is why funding research on stress testing for resilience 
is imperative to help identify the potential for cascading 
failures, risks, and impacts, and enhance resilience. Advancing 
resilience through stress testing allows airports to bounce 
forward and improve operations in an increasingly complex and 
threat-diverse world.
    So, as critical economic hubs within our broader 
communities, investments in sustainable infrastructure at 
airports should demonstrate downstream benefits to other 
connected utilities, companies, and communities at large. To 
that end, DFW established a sustainability partnership with 
several tenants, including American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels, 
to purchase renewable electricity for their on-airport 
facilities, and add ground power units to reduce emissions from 
aircraft auxiliary power units.
    Today's investments in research and development can 
accelerate airports' ability to achieve their long-term 
decarbonization and resilience goals. Therefore, our 
recommendations include, first, funding airport research on 
integrated systems-based stress testing to identify those 
critical links and the potential cascading failures, while 
strengthening our vital transportation infrastructure.
    Second, creating a dedicated funding source for airport 
infrastructural and operational investments in sustainability, 
resilience, and climate to eliminate the need for eligible 
projects to compete against safety or efficiency targets.
    U.S. airports have a rare opportunity to revolutionize how 
we operate, and provide value to the Nation and our 
communities. So, we must continue to innovate and invest in a 
sustainable future.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the 
committee. I look forward to your questions.
    [Mr. Horton's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Robert Horton, Vice President of Environmental 
  Affairs and Sustainability, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
    Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, and members of the 
committee thank you for the opportunity to testify about the 
sustainability and resiliency programs at Dallas Fort Worth 
International Airport (DFW).
    I am the Vice President of Environmental Affairs & Sustainability 
for DFW and the Airport Board's Environmental & Sustainability Officer. 
I have more than 20 years of experience within the aviation, 
transportation, and sustainability industries, successfully bringing 
together diverse stakeholders to drive global energy efficiencies, 
sustainable growth, and operational cost savings.
    I have served as a Commissioner for the Alliance to Save Energy's 
U.S. Commission on Transportation Sector Efficiency, on the Board of 
Directors for Texan by Nature, and recently the National Renewable 
Energy Laboratory (NREL) External Advisory Board for Advanced Research 
on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES), an effort to explore the 
possibilities of the nation's future energy systems.
    I hold both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degree 
in agricultural and biological engineering from the University of 
Florida. I am currently working towards obtaining a Doctor of 
Philosophy in interdisciplinary ecology from the University of Florida 
as well.
      DFW's History of Climate Action and Net Zero Carbon Roadmap
    DFW's history of leadership on climate action has positioned the 
Airport to articulate the unique challenges U.S. airports face. DFW 
employs a holistic approach to sustainability, and smart business 
investments in renewables and energy efficiency have enabled us to 
reduce absolute carbon emissions by 80% since the 2010 baseline. 
Moreover, we have done this while increasing the resiliency of our 
systems and reducing energy costs.
    In October 2020, DFW became the first Airport in the world 
certified at the highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation, Level 
4+ (Transition). In the same year, we also received a United Nations 
Global Climate Action Award, and we have received two EPA Climate 
Leadership Awards since 2016. DFW is also recognized as a Green Power 
Partner through the EPA Green Power Partnership Program and ranks as 
the highest transportation partner in the National Top 100. These 
awards recognize and validate our net zero carbon roadmap.
    DFW is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030--
two decades ahead of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 
(IPCC) global target of 2050. Our goals are also at the heart of the 
Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Climate Challenge, 
which challenges airports to achieve net zero operating capabilities by 
2050.
  Airports as Key Players in Advancing Resilience and Decarbonization 
                               Strategies
    Today, about one-third of DFW's electricity use occurs at our 
Central Utility Plant, which provides cooling for our terminals. 
Without our investment in purchasing 100% of our electricity from 
renewably generated sources, electricity would represent the largest 
component of our carbon footprint. In addition, DFW's improvements 
towards sustainable infrastructure operations are not confined to the 
airport but contribute substantial downstream opportunities to the 
communities we serve.
    The switch to purchased renewable electricity was a key initiative 
that enabled us to achieve carbon neutrality and eliminate our most 
significant source of emissions. When we transitioned to purchasing 
renewable electricity, we also reduced our electricity costs, 
demonstrating that sustainability makes business sense. Rather than 
competing goals, DFW was able to identify strategies to complement 
sustainability and economics and achieve both goals simultaneously.
    Today, the largest component of our carbon footprint--almost two-
thirds--is facility heating. These emissions come primarily from using 
natural gas boilers in our Central Utility Plant to provide heating for 
over 7 million square feet of terminal space. Therefore, our net zero 
goal is not achievable without a solution to decarbonize terminal 
heating. In 2020, DFW completed the design of a future Electric Central 
Utility Plant (e-CUP), which forms the cornerstone of our roadmap to 
net zero and addresses our top two sources of emissions. The future e-
CUP will achieve an estimated 86% reduction in natural gas use from the 
baseline by transitioning terminal heating loads from natural gas 
boilers to electric heat pump chillers powered by purchased renewable 
electricity. In addition, DFW is planning for new chiller units 
utilizing next-generation refrigerants that will reduce atmospheric 
impacts from refrigerant losses.
    DFW's e-CUP is an example of the challenges and opportunities 
facing many airports. Generational investments in infrastructure 
development, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
(Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), will help us achieve net zero goals 
and simultaneously improve airport resilience. For example, DFW's 
existing Central Utility Plant was built in the early 1970s, and the 
heating and cooling systems have reached maximum capacity. The e-CUP 
will provide resilient heating and cooling capacity to meet our current 
needs and enable future terminal expansion.
    Our fleet is another large component of our carbon footprint and 
includes over 700 gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) 
vehicles and equipment. One successful initiative targeted our fleet of 
more than 150 buses. Two decades ago, DFW began converting its diesel 
buses to compressed natural gas to improve air quality. In 2017, DFW 
launched its renewable natural gas (RNG) initiative and began 
transitioning to RNG sourced from a local Dallas landfill.
    RNG is a drop-in solution that is chemically identical to 
conventional CNG but produced from a renewable source rather than a 
fossil source. The RNG supplied to DFW is derived from biogas (methane) 
naturally generated by the decomposition of organic waste at the 
landfill. This initiative generates approximately $1 million in annual 
O&M savings. DFW also receives annual revenue from the sale of 
renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated through RNG 
production for transportation use, further reducing our operating 
costs. In the fiscal year 2021, 79% of the compressed natural gas used 
in vehicles fueled at DFW facilities was renewable.
    Last August, DFW deployed its first electric airside buses. DFW's 
investment in zero-emission vehicles and equipment will help the North 
Texas region reduce ozone pollution and meet federal air quality 
standards. DFW also purchased its first electric sedans and buses 
through 2020 and 2021 FAA Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) and 
Infrastructure Pilot Program grants. Not all vehicles and equipment 
(e.g., airfield sweepers and snow removal equipment) will be easy to 
electrify, and currently available zero-carbon alternatives may not be 
capable of meeting airport demands or operating conditions. This 
scenario is particularly true for specialized equipment and vehicles 
with limited producer competition. However, DFW and others continue to 
evaluate new net zero technologies as they mature and reach the market.
    Airports are `safety critical' entities, where new technologies 
must be extensively evaluated for possible threats before they can be 
deployed at scale. As such, airports around the country must move 
slowly and cautiously to adopt new operating standards or technologies, 
given the resources and capabilities they possess on hand. For 
infrastructure resilience and sustainability programs and technology, 
DFW is an ideal testbed for innovation. We have a proven track record 
of successfully partnering with federal agencies and private industry 
to advance our own decarbonization and resilience efforts while 
creating a safe yet effective space for innovation. We also actively 
partner with other airports to exchange information on emerging best 
practices and lessons learned. We also share DFW's learnings in a 
variety of national public forums to ensure that the broadest benefits 
from the investments and research we make on behalf of the North Texas 
community inspire other organizations on their decarbonization 
journeys.
    DFW continues to seek new ways to reduce risk, promote 
efficiencies, and generate system capacity for resilience. For example, 
DFW is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National 
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to use high-performance computing 
and digital twin technology to explore opportunities for airport 
modernization. With a digital twin of DFW operations, we can simulate 
the effects of investment decisions on customer experience, energy use, 
and airport revenue before committing to a particular approach. The DFW 
digital twin strategy leverages a larger effort, Athena, which was 
funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
(EERE) Vehicle Technologies Office. Athena aims to create an 
interactive analysis virtual environment powered by NREL's 
supercomputers and customized with data from actual airport activities.
    The virtual environment integrates models of traffic flow, 
socioeconomic behavior, and energy use so that airports can better 
understand and analyze their complex operations. The initial 
application with DFW is helping to frame the topics that will influence 
future operations, such as autonomous and electric vehicles, ride-
hailing companies, congestion and emissions reduction, building energy 
efficiency, and bus route optimization. In one use case, NREL and 
partners are identifying behind-the-meter storage options that blend 
building efficiency measures and vehicle fast-charging to dramatically 
reduce energy costs. The program strategy involves an innovative 
approach to integrating thermal and battery energy storage solutions 
and all-system efficiency improvements while reducing costs and 
conserving energy. NREL and DFW have found that making even small 
changes to existing transit routes can substantially reduce energy use. 
For the first time, data science, modeling, and analysis are providing 
the world's busiest airport hubs with clear insights to help guide 20-
plus-year investments in clean energy, efficiency, and resiliency.
    We realize that maintaining carbon neutrality through offsetting is 
not an alternative to action. Societal demands of airports are likely 
to surge in the coming years, and broad demand for mass electrification 
(where airports are one of many actors) may pose new and uncertain 
challenges for airport operational resilience.
                      Focus on Energy Performance
    Between 2006 and 2021, DFW Airport reduced energy costs by 48% and 
overall energy consumption by 13% while simultaneously increasing 
renewables. In addition, DFW has reduced annual energy costs by almost 
$20 million through various innovative initiatives, including 
continuous commissioning of buildings, energy efficiency and storage, 
integration of renewables, and procurement practices.
    In a recent blog, the Alliance to Save Energy captured the 
potential of energy efficiency efforts to reduce total energy usage, 
highlighting the importance of using flexible building loads to control 
the timing of energy use and reduce stress on the grid during periods 
of peak demand. DFW utilizes a thermal storage system to use 
electricity off-peak and is also looking to incorporate other 
technologies to increase the flexibility of building loads, a critical 
strategy as demand on the grid increases with the shift to the 
electrification of vehicle fleets.
                     Airports Partnering for Change
    While DFW's net zero goal relates to the carbon emissions under the 
direct control of the Airport, our climate action strategy includes a 
commitment to support the decarbonization efforts of the broader 
aviation industry through partnerships with airport stakeholders, 
including airlines and tenants.
    We are working closely to assist our aviation partners. For 
example, DFW and American Airlines worked together to reduce emissions 
from aircraft auxiliary power units through gate electrification. As a 
result, we established a sustainability partnership with several 
tenants, including American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels, to procure 
renewable purchased electricity for their on-airport facilities (e.g., 
terminals, hangars, and other buildings). In addition, DFW helped 
American Airlines purchase 100% renewable electricity for its off-
airport campus and other facilities.
    DFW has installed highly efficient plumbing fixtures throughout all 
five terminals, lowering customer water usage by 50% and saving over 5 
million gallons of water each month. In addition, DFW has partnered 
with neighboring cities to create a Reclaimed Water Delivery System. 
The use of reclaimed water has reduced potable water use by 100 million 
gallons per year since the baseline in 2010.
    DFW has launched a Zero-Waste goal to divert 90% of waste from 
landfills. DFW has achieved early success with construction and 
demolition waste. Last year, we recycled, reused, or salvaged 
approximately 1.9 million tons of construction waste from airfield and 
landside construction projects. This effort translated to a 96% 
diversion of construction waste from landfills.
    DFW has implemented a successful program to recycle 100% of the 
waste cooking oil generated by over 50 restaurants in our terminals. 
Over 670,000 pounds of waste cooking oil have been recycled since April 
2019 and used as a feedstock to generate approximately 61,000 gallons 
of renewable fuel.
    Last March, DFW implemented an organic waste sortation and 
collection services contract with Turn Compost, a local company. This 
service allows the airport to collect food waste from terminal 
concessions and divert the food waste to local farms and compost 
facilities. Over 198,000 pounds (99 tons) of food waste has been 
diverted from 25 restaurants in three terminals in just one year. DFW 
plans to expand the composting program to additional airport 
facilities, including aircraft catering kitchens, hotels, and offices.
    DFW has received discretionary grants through the Federal Aviation 
Administration's (FAA's) Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) 
Program. The grants supported the installation of 23 ground power units 
(GPUs), five pre-conditioned air (PCA) units, and two PCA chillers at 
DFW's Central Utility Plant. These projects allow aircraft operators to 
shut down auxiliary power units while parked at the gate, reducing fuel 
consumption and associated emissions. As a result, over 200 tons of 
ozone precursor emissions (NOx and VOCs) are expected to be avoided 
over the project's lifecycle. In addition, all of DFW's 172 gates 
provide access to GPU and PCA units to aid all airlines in their 
decarbonization journeys.
    The VALE program has also supported purchasing and installing ten 
electric ground support equipment (GSE) charging stations. The charging 
stations enabled airlines to replace a combined total of 20 
conventional fuel (i.e., diesel and gasoline) baggage tugs, belt 
loaders, and aircraft tractors with electric alternatives. This project 
further reduces ozone-precursor emissions in the Dallas-Fort Worth 
region, which is classified as ``Serious'' nonattainment under the 2008 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone (ozone NAAQS).
    Our objective is to enable our partners to achieve their 
decarbonization goals. In addition, as critical infrastructure hubs 
within our broader communities, investments in sustainable 
infrastructure at airports should demonstrate downstream benefits to 
other connected utilities, companies, and communities at large.
                     Research and Development Needs
    Given the expansive growth of airport usage in the coming decades, 
it is more important than ever that airports demonstrate safety, 
efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. Safety and efficiency are 
longstanding staples amongst U.S. airports, while environmental 
sustainability and resilience are relative newcomers. This leaves 
considerable opportunity for research and development of airport 
capacity to (a) recover from and adapt to adverse disruption posed by 
climatic and environmental stressors and (b) `lean forward' to address 
environmental sustainability challenges such as net zero preemptively. 
In addition, airports need funding capacity to `stress test' current 
and proposed airport infrastructure and functions from an ecosystem (or 
integrated system) perspective. Stress testing will help airports 
evaluate resilience capabilities against myriad disruptions or 
scenarios (e.g., cyber and energy systems, supply chains) rather than 
rely solely upon historical data or tabletop exercises.
    Today's investments in research and development can accelerate 
airports' ability to achieve their long-term decarbonization and 
resilience goals. However, this challenge cannot be borne by airports 
alone and thus requires continued partnership with federal and state 
governments as well as private companies to (a) identify, (b) 
rigorously test and evaluate, and (c) implement changes made to airport 
operations or equipment in furtherance of decarbonization and 
resilience objectives. More specifically, we recommend:
      Fund airport research on integrated systems-based stress 
testing to identify critical links within their complex networks. This 
research would ensure there are active efforts to bolster resilience 
capabilities within mission-critical supply chains and de-risk 
investments ahead of any significant operational or equipment change.
      Create a dedicated funding source for airport 
infrastructural and operational investments in sustainability, 
resilience, and climate to eliminate the need for eligible projects to 
compete against safety or efficiency targets.
      Augment entitlement funding to include resilience and 
decarbonization targets as eligible projects for investment.
  Airports as Key Players in Advancing Resilience and Decarbonization 
                               Strategies
    The Covid pandemic demonstrated the importance of well-maintained, 
reliable, and resilient airports to meet the nation's economic, health, 
and security demands. These demands will only increase in the coming 
years, and airports will need to evolve to deliver value to the 
communities and companies that rely upon them. As such, investment in 
innovative and resilient airport management, operations, and 
infrastructure is needed today to ensure our airports will be able to 
meet tomorrow's challenges.
    U.S. airports have a rare opportunity to revolutionize the manner 
in which we operate and provide value to the nation and our 
communities. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the 
U.S. has committed to historic investments toward modernizing its 
airports and ensuring their ability to address the burgeoning needs of 
their communities for the coming decades. It is imperative that we 
continue transforming travel by investing in a sustainable future.
    As we expand our knowledge of climate risks and mitigation 
strategies, we see an opportunity for improved collaboration, where 
airports can share better information about managing risks and 
improving system resilience. We are excited at the opportunity but 
require continued partnership from government and industry partners to 
bring our resilience and decarbonization aspirations to reality. 
Nevertheless, it is a worthy challenge and one that we can and should 
tackle collaboratively and immediately.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the committee.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Horton, and I turn 
to Pete Bunce, president and CEO of General Aviation 
Manufacturers Association.
    Mr. Bunce, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Bunce. Chair Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, Chair 
DeFazio, and Ranking Member Sam Graves, and all the committee 
members, thank you for having this opportunity to present in 
front of you.
    In my whole time at GAMA--now over 17 years--I have never 
seen an issue that binds all the civil aviation industry 
together as sustainability does. We all recognize that our 
industry is dependent upon getting this right. Our survival as 
an industry, and to be able to produce globally, and be global 
leaders counts on us and all of these factors to work together 
with this committee and your Senate colleagues to be able to 
get it right. And we are very gratified that you have been able 
to help us in so many ways, and we look forward to the 
legislation that you have already talked about that is still 
pending to help us with things like SAF and advanced air 
mobility and other areas.
    We recognized in business and general aviation that this 
was coming back in 2009. And we started working on two things, 
to be able to go and analyze our large fleet of business 
aviation aircraft, both turboprop and jets, which is about 
38,000 flying globally, along with 22,000 turbine helicopters, 
to see whether or not this gigantic fleet could be properly 
mapped, to be able to see if we can make at that time a carbon 
goal of basically carbon-neutral growth after 2020, and then by 
2050 having a 50-percent reduction toward a 2005 baseline for 
emissions.
    What we learned, once we did that, is that technology, 
especially in aircraft design, was able to advance, and we set 
a goal of advancing it at 2 percent per year over the following 
decade.
    Well, last year, in 2021, we were able to look back and 
analyze and remap the fleet to be able to see did we achieve 
that along with the goals that we had set for infrastructure, 
and NextGen, and other programs like that, to be able to give 
us some efficiencies there. And we found out that we were able 
to do it.
    So, we set a new goal for the next decade of, again, 2 
percent until the technology pillar starts to blossom larger as 
we bring on some of these new technologies that we have already 
talked about and that you are going to hear from in just a 
second.
    So, as we looked at technology--and these are things like 
fly-by-wire that make aircraft lighter, they are advanced 
processes like additive manufacturing that allows you to reduce 
parts and pieces, new wing design, lighter weight structures, 
more efficient engines--all of that, of course, is dependent 
upon the certification process at the FAA and other global 
regulating bodies, and ability to validate those products back 
and forth. And that is why all of your comments about how 
critical the certification pathway is, and also validation, is 
the lifeblood of being able to have technological advancements 
in the industry.
    So, as we went and set this new goal of being able to 
achieve basically net zero by 2050, along with our commercial 
brethren, as was mentioned by my colleague from Alaska 
Airlines, you have to make sure that sustainable aviation fuel 
is a high priority because we simply cannot get there, no 
matter what type of technology we are looking at now for the 
next 30 years out there, unless we really put sustainable 
aviation fuel as a very strong pillar in our effort towards 
sustainability.
    And we have to do other things. We have to be able to 
provide electric battery storage capability at airports, and 
allow for the grid to be able to power some of these new 
aircraft out there, and also to be able to develop our hydrogen 
infrastructure all over the planet, but especially in the U.S. 
and Europe, to be able to go and utilize these new 
technologies. So, there is a lot of work in front of us. But 
again, SAF is a huge pillar for that, and we definitely thank 
the committee for focusing on that.
    I would also like to commend the committee for what you all 
did on the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act 
that is moving forward, and then congratulate all of you for 
the passage of the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and 
Leadership Act. Because, as we saw with 5G, if the FAA isn't 
leading coordination between Federal entities, we are not going 
to get this right. And that legislation was extremely 
important. So, I commend the committee.
    We look forward to continuing to work with you, and I look 
forward to your questions.
    [Mr. Bunce's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
  Prepared Statement of Peter J. Bunce, President and Chief Executive 
          Officer, General Aviation Manufacturers Association
    Chair Rick Larsen and Ranking Member Garret Graves, on behalf of 
the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and its member 
companies, thank you for convening this hearing today, which will be 
vital to understanding the efforts which business and general aviation 
manufacturing companies and maintenance and service providers have 
undertaken to support environmental sustainability and address climate 
change.
    We want to state the deep appreciation we have for this Committee 
and Congress for their support of the aviation industry. We look 
forward to working with you, House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Chair Peter DeFazio and Ranking Member Sam Graves, members of the House 
Aviation Subcommittee, and the membership of the Full Committee on 
issues of critical importance to the future strength of the United 
States (U.S.) aviation and transportation system.
    GAMA represents more than 130 of the world's leading manufacturers 
of general aviation airplanes, rotorcraft, engines, avionics, 
components, and related services and technologies. GAMA members are 
also providers of maintenance and repair services, fixed-based 
operations, pilot and maintenance training, and aircraft management. 
Additionally, GAMA represents companies in the emerging sector of 
advanced air mobility, which includes the development of vertical take-
off and landing aircraft as well as electric propulsion, hydrogen-
powered aircraft and autonomous systems for civil purposes. GAMA 
companies have facilities in 47 U.S. states and 15 countries. A recent 
economic impact study determined that the general aviation industry 
supports $247 billion in economic output and 1.2 million jobs in the 
U.S.\1\
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    \1\ General Aviation's Contributions to the U.S. Economy [https://
gama.aero/wp-content/uploads/
General_Aviation_s_Contribution_to_the_US_Economy_FINAL_20200219.pdf], 
2018 Price Waterhouse Coopers Study on behalf of Aircraft Electronics 
Association (AEA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), 
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), General Aviation Manufacturers 
Association (GAMA), Helicopter Association International
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    Our membership appreciates the opportunity to highlight the work 
being done to strengthen our record on addressing climate change. In 
addition to detailing our efforts, we would like to depict what can be 
done in the near- and long-term to further bolster the industry-
government partnership to environmental sustainability and to slow 
climate change.
    Our manufacturers, service providers, and operators are steadfast 
in their commitment to improve efficiency and mitigate our industry's 
impact on the environment. While we are focused today on climate change 
issues, it is important to understand our success and continued 
commitment to reducing other environmental impacts from aviation such 
as aircraft noise and NOx for all types of aircraft. We appreciate and 
respect the work that all our partners in the aviation ecosystem have 
also undertaken to address climate change. It is clear that we will 
need to all work together to achieve meaningful results in reducing the 
aviation sector's contribution to climate change.
               Manufacturing and Technology Advancements
    On behalf of the membership of GAMA, we are proud to highlight some 
of the advancements that are in place today that promote 
sustainability. Our members are committed to producing and delivering 
products that are sustainable and more efficient than their 
predecessors. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states 
there has been more than a 70 percent improvement in fuel efficiency 
over the past 50 years with a vast majority of gains due to improved 
airframe and engine design.\2\ We anticipate that by 2050, the new 
generation of aircraft benefitting from these improvements will 
generate on average 50 percent less CO2 emissions compared 
to current levels. Examples of these gains on aircraft include changes 
in aircraft configuration, aerodynamics, systems, structural concepts, 
materials, and propulsion. Ground support equipment at airports, 
including refueling vehicles, are increasingly electric-powered, and 
installation of charging stations is growing in availability. In 
addition, many of our fixed-base operators (FBOs) have undertaken LEED-
certified construction projects and installed solar panels at their 
facilities to reduce their demand on the electrical grid. Finally, 
several of our member companies are working toward or have announced 
environmental sustainability goals which demonstrate their commitment 
to sustainability.
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    \2\ https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/continuous-lower-energy-emissions-
and-noise-cleen-program?newsId=22534
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    One critical part of bringing sustainable products and technologies 
to market is the FAA's certification process. For the general aviation 
manufacturing industry to deliver safer and more sustainable aircraft, 
engines, and other aviation products in the global economy, an 
effective FAA certification process is vital. This Subcommittee, its 
counterpart Senate subcommittee, and the respective full committees 
devoted significant time and attention to reforms of the certification 
process which culminated in enactment of the Aircraft Certification, 
Safety and Accountability Act \3\. We remain appreciative of these 
efforts, and the industry and FAA continue to implement the law's 
requirements. An effective, reliable certification process is critical 
to the industry's ability to introduce innovative technologies and more 
sustainable products into the market. Simply put, certification is 
integral to the environmental commitments our industry has made.
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    \3\ Division V, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-
260)
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    In order for FAA to keep pace with innovation in the development of 
new products and technologies, FAA must issue new and updated 
regulations, policies, and guidance necessary to support certification 
for airworthiness and operations. Currently, there is a large backlog 
including regulations, policy and guidance. For example, at least 19 
advisory circulars, technical standard orders (TSOs), and other 
documents that implement standards developed by RTCA to improve 
aviation safety and allow the certification of modern technologies are 
stalled. There are also more than 100 additional FAA actions needed in 
the form of policy memos, orders, advisory circulars, and TSO's that 
are currently in the bureaucratic process. Improvements are needed to 
the overall process in order to get these important FAA actions to 
advance, including for the new generation of electric propulsion, 
vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and advanced air mobility 
operations. Successful development of these new sustainable 
technologies and aircraft requires that FAA establish a clear path for 
certification of aircraft and air carrier operations. The regulations 
for operations must either be updated to enable these new aircraft or 
the FAA will need to process several deviations and exemptions from 
existing rules--both of which depend on FAA being able to promulgate 
rulemaking, policies and guidance expeditiously to enable these 
operations.
    Sustainability efforts are also critical to competitiveness and 
energy security. In 2017, the International Civil Aviation Organization 
(ICAO) adopted the first-ever international standards to regulate 
CO2 emissions from airplanes, and almost every nation has 
since adopted those same standards. However, the U.S. has yet to 
implement the standards, and we look forward to finalized rules by the 
Environmental Protection Agency to implement the ICAO standards as soon 
as possible to meet international deadlines. Adoption of these 
standards is vital to aerospace manufacturers, ensuring that their 
products can be accepted worldwide. Further, the U.S. must retain its 
leadership in shaping safety and environmental standards at ICAO to 
ensure the adoption is technically feasible, environmentally 
beneficial, and cost-effective standards in the global marketplace.
    Business and General Aviation's Commitment to Address Aviation 
                             Sustainability
    The Business Aviation industry has a strong background in leading 
efforts to decarbonize aviation. In 2009, the GAMA and the 
International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) jointly announced the 
Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC) \4\, a program 
to address the industry's carbon emissions, through three main 
objectives:
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    \4\ https://gama.aero/wp-content/uploads/GAMA-IBAC-Joint-Position-
on-Business-Aviation-Tackling-Climate-Change-1.pdf
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      Reducing CO2 emissions 50 percent by 2050 
relative to 2005 levels;
      Improving fuel efficiency 2 percent per year on average 
from 2010 until 2020; and
      Achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020.

    The industry achieved a 1.9 percent annual improvement in fuel 
efficiency on average since 2010, in line with our goal of a 2 percent 
improvement. At the time the BACCC was released, business aviation had 
already seen a 40 percent improvement in the fuel efficiency of our 
aircraft over the past 40 years.\5\ The industry recently evaluated 
progress on meeting these goals and found that mainly through 
technology improvements and alternative fuels we are on track to meet 
the long-term goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent 
in 2050 relative to 2005 levels.
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    \5\ https://gama.aero/wp-content/uploads/GAMA-IBAC-Joint-Position-
on-Business-Aviation-Tackling-Climate-Change-1.pdf
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    After reviewing our progress toward meeting these objectives, the 
business aviation community committed itself to more aggressive goals. 
On October 12, 2021, a renewed effort to address climate change was 
announced with an updated goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.\6\ 
The three primary objectives were also refreshed and include:
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    \6\ https://ibac.org/app/ibac/files-module/local/documents/
Declaration%20on%20NZE%202050
%20210922%20Final.pdf
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      Achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
      Continue to improve fuel efficiency 2 percent per year on 
average from 2020 to 2030.
      Commit to carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020.

    To meet these commitments, we are focused on four key pillars which 
are crucial to meeting these goals. They include:
    Technological Advancements--As stated previously, the aviation 
manufacturing industry is at the forefront of developing technological 
improvements to aircraft configuration, aerodynamics, systems, 
materials, and engine technologies which result in more efficient wing, 
rotor, fuselage, engine design, and operations. We are also furthering 
revolutionary innovations like hybrid, electric, and hydrogen-powered 
aircraft. These technological advancements are advancing our industry's 
sustainability commitments to improve the fuel efficiency of aircraft 
and reduce emissions.
    Alternative Fuels--The business aviation industry, along with other 
industry stakeholders and energy producers, has driven the research, 
development, and deployment of commercially viable, sustainable 
aviation fuels (SAF). The increased use of SAF will play a key role in 
reducing business aviation's CO2 emissions. Relative to 
petroleum-based conventional fuels, SAF blending components will 
deliver a net reduction in CO2 emissions across its 
lifecycle.
    Operations & Infrastructure--More efficient operations, stemming 
from continued progress on air-traffic management, along with measures 
including reduced payload, streamlined flight planning, and single-
engine taxiing can play a significant role in reducing CO2 
emissions. Improving and enhancing air traffic and airport 
infrastructure can have multiple benefits for the business aviation 
industry including system-wide efficiencies that reduce CO2 
emissions.
    Global Market-Based Measures--As business aviation continues to 
improve technologies, advance the production and uptake of alternative 
fuels, and push for operational efficiencies, it will also utilize 
market-based measures to offset emissions to fulfill its commitments. 
It is essential that global market-based measures are environmentally 
meaningful, and the administrative and implementation costs do not 
exceed the environmental benefits from compliance, particularly for 
small operators.
    Business aviation industry partnerships with other industry 
players, governments, and regulators will be crucial to achieving our 
goals. Our commitment to addressing climate change is dependent on the 
support that authorities can provide to implement policies to help 
accelerate the uptake, distribution, and use of SAF as well as 
investments in research, development, and deployment projects to 
advance technology and facilitate operational improvements. 
Additionally, it will take buy in from all sectors of the industry to 
follow through to achieve the sustainable aviation future the aviation 
sector seeks.
          Current Sustainability Policy Efforts and Next Steps
    While these are industry-led objectives, we appreciate the fact 
that this Committee and others have considered and supported an array 
of policy efforts to facilitate our endeavors. Within the FAA's current 
authorization, an example includes the work of the Continuous Lower 
Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program as well as the FAA's 
ASCENT (Aviation Sustainability Center) program. By way of background, 
CLEEN is a cost-sharing effort with industry which aims to accelerate 
technology maturation that will reduce noise, emissions, and fuel burn 
and enable the aviation industry to expedite integration of these 
technologies into current and future aircraft. ASCENT is a coalition of 
16 leading U.S. research universities and more than 60 private sector 
stakeholders conducting research to reduce aviation's environmental 
impact. These two partnerships have made significant contributions to 
address climate change within aviation and we look forward to 
leveraging their work further.
    These efforts have yielded important advancements in areas like 
SAF. Once it was made available for use, GAMA, along with other general 
aviation associations, conducted a significant education campaign to 
ensure operators understood that SAF is safe and viable to put in their 
aircraft. As a result, today, FBOs are distributing SAF at airports and 
fueling aircraft with SAF, and aircraft are flying and conducting 
flight testing with SAF.
    Work remains to deploy SAF on a broader scale, and we strongly 
support efforts that incentivize increased production and distribution 
of this more sustainable fuel. In fact, efforts are ongoing to 
incentivize SAF production where the fuel is currently not available 
particularly given it is not ideal to produce SAF in one part of the 
country and then transport it to another part of the country. GAMA is 
also a strong advocate for the SAF Blender's Tax Credit, which would 
provide a clear incentive to boost the production and distribution of 
SAF. This is particularly important given the comprehensive network of 
U.S. airport infrastructure. Finally, several of our member companies 
have been conducting R&D work on engines that would safely operate on 
100 percent neat SAF, furthering our sustainability efforts.
    We are also pleased that the Administration has taken several steps 
to support and promote SAF, including the SAF Grand Challenge. The 
initiative is intended to increase SAF production, accelerate research 
and development to improve aircraft fuel efficiency, improve air 
traffic and airport efficiency to reduce fuel use, and eliminate lead 
exposure. We recognize that many members of this committee have been 
strong leaders in many of these areas, and we look forward to 
continuing to partner in these efforts.
    An additional legislative proposal that we would like to highlight 
is the ``Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity Act'' which has been 
introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 3125) by Senator Raphael Warnock (D-
GA), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), and 
Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). Referred to as the ``AERO Act,'' the 
intent of the measure complements ongoing efforts to accelerate the 
uptake, distribution, and use of SAF while simultaneously spurring 
investments in innovation and technological advancements. The measure 
proposes $1 billion over five years in grants, with 30 percent of 
grants going to entities focused on developing, demonstrating, or 
applying low-emission aviation technology, and 70 percent of the 
funding dedicated to producing, transporting, or storing SAF. Airport 
sponsors are specifically listed as eligible entities to receive 
funding under this program.
    Another initiative to highlight is the FAA's Voluntary Airport Low 
Emissions (VALE) program. The program allows airport sponsors to 
finance low emission vehicles, refueling and recharging stations, gate 
electrification, and other air quality improvements. As previously 
noted, electric vehicles are being used at airports now and aircraft of 
the future will rely on electric, electric hybrid propulsion and other 
technologies as well. Expanding the VALE program's eligibility would 
allow more communities to benefit from these low emission technologies 
and contemplating additional efforts to encourage and expand this 
effort merit consideration.
                        The Next Era of Aircraft
    GAMA has been a leader in advocating for the advanced air mobility 
(AAM) sector, and a significant portion of our membership is involved 
in this emerging sector, which envisions highly automated electric 
aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to 
transport passengers or cargo at low-to-medium altitudes in urban, 
suburban, rural, and regional environments. We appreciate the attention 
and focus policymakers have placed on AAM and the opportunity it may 
provide for increased transportation connectivity.
    Under the leadership of Full Committee Vice Chair Sharice Davids 
(D-KS), Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA), Senator Jerry Moran (R-
KS), and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and many others who have 
supported this effort, we want to thank both bodies again for passing 
the ``Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act'' (H.R. 
1339 and S. 516). The measure is intended to ensure the federal 
government is effectively engaged and coordinated internally, as well 
as with industry stakeholders, to support the evolution of AAM. It 
directs the creation of an interagency working group, led by the 
Secretary of Transportation, to review and make recommendations on 
policies and investments to facilitate AAM beyond initial aircraft 
certification and operations. This includes a focus on economic and 
workforce opportunities, potential physical and digital security risks 
and mitigations, and energy and transportation infrastructure. We 
encourage policymakers to complete consideration and send this bill to 
the president's desk in the near-term to further coordination and 
collaboration and enhance industry competitiveness.
    As our industry moves toward introduction of AAM into the national 
airspace, enactment of either the House or the substantially similar 
Senate version of that legislation will also help facilitate a closer 
working relationship between the FAA, Department of Transportation, and 
other interagency partners. For example, the Department of Energy will 
have a significant role to play in the future of airport infrastructure 
and its work with FAA will be crucial to the success of this endeavor. 
This legislation is a good bridge to highlighting several new aviation 
propulsion technologies that have tremendous potential to significantly 
reduce aviation's CO2 emissions in the long term.
    Ultimately, the future of electric aircraft, including eVTOL 
aircraft, depends to a great extent on infrastructure investment, such 
as investment in charging stations for electric propulsion and in 
vertiports for eVTOL aircraft. As the aircraft that will populate AAM 
networks are still undergoing the FAA's certification process, much of 
their operational features, such as charging mechanisms and related 
infrastructure requirements, are proprietary or not yet known. As 
Congress contemplates how to encourage the growth of this fledgling 
sector of the industry, we encourage flexibility given the scope and 
breadth of aircraft and airports' needs.
    Propulsion types like electric, hydrogen and electric-hybrid 
propulsion will continue to advance. GAMA is privileged to represent 
companies working in each of these areas and the progress they are 
making are tangible. As these concepts move forward, focus on issues 
like airport infrastructure needs, operations, maintenance, and ground 
support and emergency preparedness will be critical. Moreover, and 
consistent with the conversations with other segments of the aviation 
industry and broader economy, the importance of workforce needs among 
these products' manufacturers, operators, and regulators will be 
critical, particularly in view of the fact that these technologies may 
require additional skills or competencies to ensure safety.
    Finally, we commend the Committee's recent consideration and 
approval of ``The Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization (AAIM) 
Act'' (H.R. 6270) and applaud Chair Rick Larsen (D-WA), Ranking Member 
Garret Graves (R-LA), and Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) for their 
leadership. As these vehicles move through the certification process, 
concurrent planning for their infrastructure needs should be 
contemplated to facilitate the needed local planning and infrastructure 
to prepare for future operations, and the AAIM Act is intended to 
encourage this collaboration. This is also increasingly relevant as 
regulators and industry work to define consensus standards on 
vertiports which would serve as an additional infrastructure capability 
that is envisioned for use by AAM aircraft.
                      Addressing Piston Fleet Fuel
    Finally, given the topic of this hearing is sustainability we 
wanted to highlight the collaborative efforts of numerous stakeholders 
to address fuel for piston-engine aircraft. The FAA has joined with 
aviation and petroleum industry stakeholders to work toward 
transitioning to lead-free aviation fuels for piston-engine aircraft by 
the end of 2030. The Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) 
initiative will expand and accelerate government and industry actions 
and investments as well as establish the necessary policies and 
activities to permit both new and existing general aviation aircraft to 
operate lead-free, without compromising aviation safety and the 
economic and broader public benefits of general aviation.
    We recognize that this is very ambitious, and each of the 
organizations involved are fully committed to EAGLE's success with work 
well underway. A key component of the EAGLE initiative will include an 
assessment of airport infrastructure needed to foster distribution of 
any certified and commercially viable replacement unleaded fuel or 
fuels.
    The importance of this initiative to general aviation and U.S. 
general aviation infrastructure cannot be understated. There are more 
than 13,000 different airports which service the roughly 170,000 piston 
engine general aviation fleet. We expect the EPA to move forward with 
an endangerment finding this year which will trigger regulatory 
activity to ban leaded avgas. The clock is ticking, and we need to move 
quickly so that manufacturers have time to design, develop, certify, 
and build products that can operate safely on whichever unleaded fuel 
or fuels reach the market.
    This work is consistent with the findings of a National Academies 
of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Study requested in the 2018 FAA 
Reauthorization Act.\7\ The resulting report, Options for Reducing Lead 
from Piston-Engine Aircraft \8\, was published last year and indicates 
that a multi-pathway approach ultimately might be needed since there is 
currently no single known technical solution available in the near-
term.
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    \7\ Section 177, FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254)
    \8\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 
2021. Options for Reducing Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft. 
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/
26050.
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                               Conclusion
    On behalf of our membership, we want to thank Chair Rick Larsen and 
Ranking Member Graves for convening this hearing and allowing GAMA to 
testify on industry efforts to mitigate the general and business 
aviation's impact on the environment. General and business aviation 
remains committed to ensuring our segment of the aviation industry 
plays a positive role in achieving a sustainable and competitive future 
for this essential industry. We are grateful that the Subcommittee and 
Committee has prioritized this issue and is working, on a bipartisan 
basis, with aviation stakeholders to provide the resources and programs 
needed to achieve a sustainable aviation future. Thanks to all 
committee members who participated today.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you very much for your 
testimony. I appreciate it. I now want to turn to Jennifer 
Bies, the director of environmental operations for the Port of 
Portland.
    Ms. Bies, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Bies. Chairman DeFazio, Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member 
Graves, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for 
convening this important hearing. My name is Jennifer Bies, and 
I am the director of environmental operations for the Port of 
Portland.
    Climate change represents one of the most important 
challenges for my generation and for generations to come. And I 
am grateful for the opportunity to share with you the work we 
are doing at PDX, as well as what more is needed to help us 
achieve our collective goals.
    The port owns three airports, four marine terminals, five 
business parks, and operates dredge equipment to maintain the 
navigation channel of the Lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers. 
PDX International Airport is the largest commercial airport in 
Oregon and southwest Washington, serving nearly 20 million 
passengers in 2019.
    As we look forward to a full recovery and continued growth 
of air travel post-pandemic, we must do so in a responsible 
manner. The evidence of climate change in Oregon is clear: 
Portland and the region we serve have experienced unprecedented 
weather events. Portland is in the midst of the wettest spring 
on record, it snowed in mid-April, and last June we experienced 
117-degree heat. Unprecedented summer heat waves have also 
spawned wildfires, burning millions of acres. It is past time 
to get serious about this threat to our existence.
    We believe that significant investments in infrastructure 
must prioritize projects that increase resilience in the face 
of extreme weather events and natural disasters, and address 
environmental and social inequities, all while decreasing 
dependence on fossil fuels.
    PDX accounts for over three-quarters of the port's total 
greenhouse gas emissions, and it also generates air toxics from 
diesel emissions, which impact airport workers and low-income 
communities and communities of color living in close proximity 
to the airport. We reduced PDX emissions by about 60 percent 
below 1990 levels, while at the same time passenger travel had 
increased by 162 percent by investing in energy efficiency and 
moving away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy and renewable 
fuels.
    Significant emission reduction projects completed to date 
include transitioning diesel-powered vehicles and equipment to 
renewable natural gas and renewable diesel; incorporating 
state-of-the-art energy efficiency design into our headquarters 
building; airportwide energy efficient lighting upgrades; and 
installation of preconditioned air and ground power units on 
all loading bridges.
    Moving forward, the port is prioritizing four strategies to 
achieve additional meaningful greenhouse gas emission 
reductions, address environmental justice inequities, and 
invest in regional resiliency.
    Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is one priority.
    We support a blender's tax credit, but additional funding 
is necessary to support modifications to infrastructure, 
including the off-airport last-mile facilities needed to 
receive, blend, and deliver SAF to PDX.
    Electrification of diesel-powered ground support equipment 
is another priority. We have made great strides in making the 
terminal plug-in ready, and we are partnered with the 
California Airport Council and several California airports to 
develop carbon intensity values needed to participate in our 
State Clean Fuels Program. These program incentives will 
support our airline partners in transitioning to electric 
ground support equipment.
    Lastly, we need to secure funding for two major projects: a 
ground source heating and cooling system in our terminal, which 
will reduce the energy use per square foot by 54 percent; and a 
seismically resilient runway that would establish a lifeline 
for the western, most highly populated part of Oregon to 
deliver aid and support recovery efforts after a cataclysmic 
earthquake.
    In conclusion, the port has accomplished a lot already, and 
we are highly motivated to do more. But we need help. Airports 
are faced with a dilemma regarding AIP funds. We must first 
address the backlog of deferred asset renewals to maintain safe 
and effective functioning of the airport. This leaves limited 
funding available for transformational projects to meet our 
responsibilities as a public agency in addressing climate 
change, environmental justice, and regional resiliency.
    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a huge step forward, 
but the need far outweighs available funding. Climate change 
has created an urgency to quickly transition away from fossil 
fuels and better prepare for natural disasters before it is too 
late. We stand at the ready to work in partnership to pave the 
way towards a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future 
for U.S. airports.
    Thank you to subcommittee members for convening this 
hearing and for your continued work on these important matters. 
I look forward to answering your questions.
    [Ms. Bies' prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of Jennifer Bies, Director of Environmental 
                      Operations, Port of Portland
    Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today 
about the issue of climate change at U.S. airports. Climate change 
represents one of the most important challenges for my generation, and 
for generations to come, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share 
with you our work at the Port of Portland.
                              Introduction
    I am the Director of Environmental Operations for the Port of 
Portland (Port). Established in 1891 by the Oregon Legislature, the 
Port today owns three airports--Portland International (PDX) and two 
general aviation airports. We also own and operate four marine 
terminals that handle imports and exports, business parks that provide 
industrial and manufacturing jobs, and operate dredge equipment that 
helps maintain the navigation channel on the lower Columbia and 
Willamette rivers. The Port's mission is to build shared prosperity for 
the region through travel, trade, and economic development.
    PDX is the largest commercial airport in Oregon and SW Washington, 
serving nearly 20 million passengers annually in 2019. Travel levels at 
PDX are still recovering from the pandemic but we're looking forward to 
a busy summer travel season, including the recent return of 
transatlantic flights. PDX is both a beloved local landmark and a 
perennial favorite of travelers worldwide as well as a source of 
significant economic value to the region. We're in the midst of a 
capital construction program at PDX--PDX Next--which is designed to 
allow for significant growth (to accommodate 45 million passengers per 
year by 2045) while greatly improving the resilience and sustainability 
of the airport.
    We know we need to make infrastructure investments in a way that 
prepares for and protects us from climate change and natural disasters, 
and that addresses long-standing inequities regarding who benefits from 
and who is negatively impacted by our work. For transportation systems 
to function and have long-term reliability, we must prepare to be more 
resilient in response to unpredictable disruptions from extreme weather 
events due to climate change and natural disasters.
    The past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future. The 
evidence of climate change in Oregon is clear. Portland and the region 
we serve have experienced unprecedented weather events including record 
heat, cold, and precipitation. For example, Portland is in the midst of 
the wettest spring on record, and it snowed in mid-April. Last June we 
experienced 117-degree heat, exceeding the previous all-time record 
high temperature by nearly 10 degrees.
    Unprecedented summer heat waves have spawned wildfires which have 
burned millions of acres. The summer 2020 wildfires were the most 
destructive on record in Oregon and triggered five days of 
``hazardous'' air quality for the first time in Portland. It is past 
time to get serious about this threat to our existence. It is essential 
to invest more resources in proactive preparation and progress to 
lessen the magnitude of destruction and associated recovery expenses.
                            Where We've Been
    The Port actively works to implement climate change solutions by 
measuring our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint, investing in 
energy efficiency, and moving away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy 
and alternative fuels.
    The Port of Portland has long had our own emissions reductions 
goals, reducing GHG emissions by over 60% below 1990 levels at the same 
time as passenger growth increased by 162%. We achieved this 
accomplishment via several projects. We've made significant energy 
efficiency investments, including an airport-wide lighting upgrade. The 
Port's headquarters building located at PDX is LEED Platinum-certified 
and uses about 36 percent less energy than a typical building of its 
size. We also installed preconditioned air and ground power units on 
all loading bridges at PDX--eliminating onsite emissions from parked 
aircraft.
    The Port has supported Oregon's Clean Fuels legislation and 
participates in the Clean Fuels Program for PDX shuttle buses that run 
on renewable natural gas and for electric vehicle charging. Most 
diesel-powered vehicles and generators at PDX use R99 renewable diesel 
made from sustainable feedstocks. PDX also has one of the largest 
collections of electric vehicle parking spaces among airports in the 
U.S. with 125 spaces installed. These charging stations serve Port 
fleet, maintenance, Airport Rescue & Firefighting and employee vehicles 
as well as passengers and Transportation Network Companies (i.e., Uber, 
Lyft, taxis.) An additional 38 charging stations are coming soon which 
will include communications infrastructure for monitoring, analyzing, 
and evaluating system electricity usage for each charging station to 
help us maximize use and improve reporting.
    Diesel exhaust is one of the most significant contributors of 
health impacts from air toxics in the Portland region and construction 
equipment is the largest source of those emissions. In collaboration 
with other public agencies in the Portland region, the Port created and 
is implementing a Clean Air Construction Program to reduce diesel 
emissions on construction projects. Beginning in 2021, the program 
implemented a standard set of cleaner equipment requirements on job 
sites and a regional program to verify compliance with the 
requirements. Many larger construction companies have already 
transitioned to cleaner equipment. Small businesses, however, cannot 
afford to replace their typically older and dirtier diesel construction 
equipment with new equipment or install costly retrofits. The small 
businesses can apply for a temporary exemption or meet program 
requirements through the use of renewable diesel. The Port is working 
to facilitate small business access to renewable diesel at a reasonable 
cost, to lessen the continued air toxics impacts from exempted diesel 
equipment.
                           Where We're Headed
    We know we can do more. We are prioritizing operations with the 
highest GHG emissions to start and investing in strategies that 
meaningfully and swiftly reduce our carbon footprint. We are also 
taking action to prioritize emission reductions that have the greatest 
benefit to addressing environmental justice inequities. Like a small 
city, PDX operates around the clock and consequently accounts for over 
three-quarters of the Port's total GHG emissions. PDX also contributes 
to air toxic emissions (diesel particulates in particular) impacting 
airport workers and surrounding historically marginalized communities.
    We believe any new, significant investment in infrastructure must 
prioritize projects that increase the resilience against climate 
change, extreme weather, and natural disasters while decreasing our 
dependence on fossil fuels. We recognize that our growth at PDX could 
result in a higher environmental impact. Sustainability was the focus 
of the PDX Master Plan developed 10 years ago and that's why we chose 
to renovate and expand the existing terminal structure instead of 
building a new terminal, relying on the use of wood, steel, and other 
salvaged materials, and incorporating a new efficient heating and 
cooling system.
Ground Source Heating & Cooling System
    The current heating and cooling system at the airport relies on 
natural gas boilers and chillers with diesel generators as backup. A 
new energy efficient ground source heat pump system will instead rely 
on electricity to generate heated and chilled water for building 
heating and cooling. The system will extract heat from an underground 
aquifer for heating, and, to cool, it will reject heat back into the 
same aquifer. Traditional boilers and chillers will be retained as 
backups, and to augment the ground source system's performance during 
periods of extreme temperatures. By adding a ground source heat pump 
system, the terminal's energy use per square foot will be reduced by 
approximately 54% and 130,000 MMBtu of annual natural gas will be 
electrified--a major step away from fossil fuel use. GHG emissions will 
be reduced by a minimum of 6,800 metric tons of CO2e/year, 
and those emissions reductions will improve over time as the electric 
grid continues to transition away from coal to renewable sources.
Electrification
    The Port is pursuing electrification of ground support equipment as 
a key strategy to address air toxics that have a direct impact on PDX 
airport workers and surrounding residential communities while reducing 
our carbon footprint. We have made significant progress in building out 
the electrical infrastructure needed for charging ground support 
equipment. The electrical backbone is in place across the airport and 
branch conduit and wiring has been installed to make our two newest 
concourses--Concourse B and E--plug-in ready for charging stations. The 
remaining infrastructure needed to make Concourses C and D plug-in 
ready is planned in the capital project queue.
    The Port partnered with the California Airport Council and several 
California airports on development of carbon intensity values needed 
for electric ground support equipment to qualify for Oregon's Clean 
Fuels program. Leveraging Oregon Clean Fuels Program financial 
incentives will be essential to support our airline business partners 
in advancing the transition to electric ground support equipment at 
PDX. Additional federal support made available in the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will also be needed to fully electrify 
the ground support equipment at PDX.
    We're also investing over $12 million to increase electrical 
infrastructure between a substation and the PDX terminal to accommodate 
future increases in demand/load from electrification of fossil fuel 
powered equipment and systems.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
    Securing a reliable and affordable local or regional supply of SAF 
is a significant priority for the Port because GHG emissions from jet 
fuel account for 78% of Port emissions. PDX completed a SAF 
Infrastructure Study in 2018 to help facilitate discussion on what it 
would take to implement this technology. Since then, the Port has 
supported acceleration of SAF supply chain development in the following 
ways:
      On-going discussions with developers, airlines and other 
supply chain partners to look at SAF demand and logistics (i.e., 
transportation, storage and delivery to PDX).
      Co-funded with SkyNRG Americas a Bioeconomic Development 
Opportunity Zone (BDO Zone) Designation for municipal solid waste 
supply in Arlington, Oregon. `A' and `AA' BDO Zone Ratings identify 
areas in the country best positioned for low-risk bioeconomy project 
development and provide much-needed market intelligence to facilitate 
investment decisions. Arlington's `A' rating will hopefully lead to 
increased production of SAF and R99 in Oregon.
      Participation on the Oregon Clean Fuels Program 
Rulemaking Advisory Committee to advocate for measures to make Oregon 
competitive with other West Coast fuel markets and attract clean fuels 
such as renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable 
natural gas.
      Participation in the federal agency SAF Grand Challenge 
which is working to develop a roadmap to reduce the cost and expand the 
production and use of SAF.
Adaptation to Extreme Weather
    The Port also recognizes that in the face of climate change we need 
to adapt how we work, how we build, and how we operate to protect human 
and environmental health and safety and prolong the life of our capital 
investments.
    Recently, the Port used the Airport Cooperative Research Program's 
Airport Climate Risk Assessment Tool (ACROS) to evaluate likely climate 
impacts to PDX. The analysis found, and is verified by Oregon and 
national climate assessments, that PDX is likely to experience hotter, 
drier summers with more high heat days than before. The 2020 heat wave 
was a public health crisis: more than 60 people in Multnomah County 
lost their lives. Increasing temperatures and peak heat waves are a 
critical concern for the aviation industry. In response to the 2020 
extreme heat events, Oregon OSHA adopted emergency rules addressing 
wildfire smoke to protect employee and worker health and safety. PDX 
convened an internal task force and established a process to alert 
employees who work outdoors of poor air quality conditions during 
wildfire events and requires the use of personal protective equipment 
to protect worker health. PDX is committed to protecting the health and 
safety of our employees, contractors, and travelers.
    In addition to efforts to support worker health and safety, 
airports need to mitigate harm to building roofs, strain on HVAC 
systems, reduced water availability, increase in emergency service 
calls, and loss of integrity of runway pavement. To be more resilient 
in the face of potable water shortages, the Port has been focusing on 
water conservation strategies such as installing low flow fixtures 
throughout the PDX terminal as well as securing municipal water rights 
to authorize use of non-potable water in place of potable water. The 
non-potable water can be used for our operations as well as for tenants 
and other potential commercial and industrial customers within our non-
potable water service areas.
    For example, the construction of the new rental car ready return 
facility at PDX includes a non-potable water well, collects rainwater 
and stores it in an underground cauldron as wash water, and deploys 
reverse osmosis for vehicle washing. Leveraging non-potable water for 
car washing and toilet flushing has reduced potable water use by more 
than 70% as compared to the LEED baseline for a typical office 
building. This facility received Envision certification, which provides 
a consistent, consensus-based framework for assessing sustainability, 
resiliency, and equity in civil infrastructure.
    Climate assessments and the ACROS tool also indicate that PDX 
should prepare for more heavy precipitation events. Primary 
vulnerabilities to heavy precipitation include internal and external 
facility damage, failure of drainage systems, operational disruptions, 
undermining of pavement and impacts to ground transportation and 
parking. In order to mitigate the impacts from extreme weather events 
the Port is focused on the following priorities:
      Upgrading building efficiency to reduce demand and strain 
on the power system.
      Reducing our reliance on the electricity grid with on-
demand renewable power and independent micro-grid infrastructure at 
PDX.
      Securing funding for on-going asset management to keep 
pavement, stormwater, HVAC and building systems in good order and 
extend their useful lives.
Natural Disaster Resilience
    The Port is deeply committed to providing public services that meet 
local and regional resilience needs. Recent examples of our commitment 
are illustrated by the Port's role in:
      Addressing health and safety of passengers and employees 
via modified PDX operations in response to COVID-19.
      Partnering with the Oregon Health Sciences University to 
stand up a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic at PDX, where more 
than 250,000 doses were administered.
      Sending Port of Portland Firefighters every year to help 
g communities around Oregon fight deadly wildfires.

    Our ability to respond to these types of emergencies is made 
greater because of our commitment to increasing our resilience to 
hazards. The Port has been systematically identifying hazards and Port-
specific vulnerabilities and developing and implementing plans and 
projects to improve the strength and flexibility of our facilities and 
operations. We take a holistic, programmatic approach to resilience; 
designing the flexibility needed to perform well under a variety of 
potential disruptions and challenging conditions.
    In addition to climate change, we have to prepare for other natural 
disasters, particularly earthquakes. Given Oregon's geography and the 
vulnerability of critical infrastructure to earthquake and landslide 
damage, and the likelihood of a coastal tsunami, Oregon will be 
isolated following a major earthquake. The planned major response hub 
for Oregon is located on the east side of the Cascade Mountain range. 
This means that aid to Oregon's most populous region in the western 
part of the state will need to be brought in via helicopters and small 
planes until the mountain passes are cleared and road travel restored. 
Marine routes will need to be cleared, and maritime support will take 
some time to arrive. Lack of road and marine transportation, and very 
limited aviation options will hamper medical evacuations and response 
and will make it exceedingly difficult to bring in basic aid for days, 
if not weeks.
    PDX has made significant investments to prepare for a Cascadia 
Subduction Zone catastrophic event. We have a new concourse built on a 
resilient structural foundation and our PDX communications and 
emergency operations center has an independent emergency power supply. 
The Terminal Core expansion project also includes numerous seismic 
improvements.
    The most transformational seismic investment in the Port's 
resilient infrastructure work is a seismically resilient runway at PDX. 
A resilient runway, one that can withstand the ground motion caused by 
a major earthquake will provide an essential lifeline connection to 
supplies, aid, and support during a catastrophic event. According to an 
analysis of the National Institute of Building Sciences, the runway 
could help avoid about $7 billion dollars in losses in today's dollars.
    The Port is incredibly grateful to have secured $3.75 million in 
FY22 Congressionally Directed Spending for a FEMA pre-disaster 
mitigation grant. This is from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure 
and Communities (BRIC) program. Combined with additional funding 
provided by the state of Oregon, the Port will finalize the design of 
the seismically resilient runway over the next two years. Construction 
of the runway will require significant additional federal funding 
support.
                    How We Continue to Make Progress
Infrastructure Funding
    The Port relies upon investments in nearly every kind of 
infrastructure imaginable: obviously airports, but also waterways, 
bridges, marine terminals, transportation safety, levees, locks, roads, 
transit, and rail. So, we were very pleased with the passage of the 
IIJA last year. We believe the IIJA investments will both address the 
backlog of infrastructure needs nationwide, while prioritizing 
investments that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, increase resilience, 
and mitigate community impacts. We also welcome the law's focus on 
equity and job creation. In particular, we are deeply grateful for the 
$25 billion in airport infrastructure investments provided by IIJA.
      We expect PDX to receive approximately $20 million each 
year for the next five years in Airport Infrastructure Grants, a 
significant increase in our annual Airport Improvement Program (AIP) 
grants. It will immediately be applied to address key airfield pavement 
needs that are essential to maintaining a safe, efficient and resilient 
airport.
      The Port has also applied for funding for the first year 
of the Airport Terminal Program (ATP) competitive grant. We're seeking 
funding for the ground source heating and cooling system at PDX 
discussed above. The current reality of capital construction projects--
significant cost escalations, supply chain limitations and staffing 
shortages--means difficult choices for capital projects. These federal 
funds will help ensure the Port can meet its environmental and job 
creation goals.
      We also know the need for investment at airports far 
exceeds the funding available. We understand there were more than 650 
applications totaling $14 billion for the first $1 billion provided in 
FY23 for the ATP grants. We know the need is great and we will continue 
to work with Congress and the Administration on other funding sources 
for airports, including an increase in the Passenger Facility Charge 
(PFC).
Expand Funding for Airport Resiliency Projects
    We support a specific expansion of the FAA Airport Improvement 
Program (AIP) to allow funding to be used for natural disaster and 
climate resilience. H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, included a 
provision allowing airports to use AIP grant funding for ``critical 
airport infrastructure'' projects that increase the resiliency of the 
airport against ``earthquakes, flooding, high water, hurricane, storm 
surge, tidal wave, tornado, tsunami or wind driven water.'' (H.R. 2, 
SEC. 10103, Airport Resiliency Projects).
    We also believe the FEMA BRIC program should continue to be funded 
at robust levels. This program is an essential source of funding for 
communities to invest in advance of disasters and is one of the likely 
sources of funding for construction of our seismic runway.
SAF Blenders Tax Credit
    The Port is committed to being prepared to offer SAF at PDX as the 
fuel becomes available. We know additional government incentives are 
required to support growing this industry to scale given the 
considerable cost difference with conventional jet fuel. We strongly 
support a new, long-term tax incentive for sustainable aviation fuel. 
We believe a blender's tax credit specifically aimed at incentivizing 
the production of sustainable aviation fuel is critical to support the 
decarbonization of the aviation sector.
SAF Infrastructure Grant Program
    We also strongly support a SAF infrastructure grant program to 
further support the development and deployment of SAF, such as Senator 
Warnock's Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity Act (AERO) and the 
Alternative Fuel and Low Emissions Aviation Technology Program and 
related provisions in H.R. 2 (Sections 10201-10204). We are 
particularly in need of funding mechanisms to help offset the costs of 
off-airport SAF infrastructure as will be needed at PDX.
Expand the Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program
    The Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) Program allows airports 
to use AIP funds and PFC revenue for low emission vehicles, charging 
stations, and other projects that help improve air quality. More 
flexibility is needed in this program at airports like PDX that are 
already in air quality attainment areas, but where federal funding for 
additional carbon and air toxic emissions reduction programs is needed. 
We support both increased funding for the VALE program and allowing it 
to expand airports outside of non-attainment areas to help more 
airports improve air quality.
Federal Agency Aviation Fuel Usage
    Key federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 
can play a more active role in SAF uptake for their own aviation fuel 
needs. The House-passed 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 
included a provision that would require the Defense Department to 
conduct a pilot program at two or more DoD facilities exploring the use 
of sustainable aviation fuel. While this provision was not included in 
the final 2021 NDAA, we are hopeful that this year will result in 
successful passage of the program.
    Thank you for this opportunity to address you today about our work 
at PDX to address climate change and natural disaster resilience. I 
look forward to continuing to work with the Subcommittee on these 
issues going forward.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you very much for your 
testimony, and I will turn to Mr. John Plaza, president and CEO 
of SkyNRG Americas.
    Mr. Plaza, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Plaza. Good afternoon, Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member 
Graves, and members of the Aviation Subcommittee. My name is 
John Plaza, and I appreciate the opportunity to tell you a 
little bit more about our focus on sustainable aviation fuel.
    I am the CEO of SkyNRG Americas, and we are focused on, as 
I mentioned, really bringing scale to the new industry of 
sustainable aviation fuel. And the opportunity that we have in 
front of us as a country is quite exciting. I have been 
involved in aviation for over 40 years and have been leading 
the development of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, since 
2006. I am excited to discuss the role that SAF can play in 
decarbonizing aviation and enhancing energy independence for 
our Nation.
    I also want to thank this committee and you, Chairman 
Larsen, for your continued leadership and support of domestic 
renewable fuels production specifically in this hard-to-
decarbonize industry.
    At SkyNRG, we are a team of industry-leading professionals 
who build and develop commercial-scale SAF projects. Our 
planned facilities in North America will increase SAF supply 
for a network of aviation users, including both U.S. airlines 
and our U.S. defense needs. Critically, SkyNRG is committed to 
sourcing SAF from waste-based feedstocks that achieve, at a 
minimum, an 80-percent reduction in greenhouse gases over 
traditional petroleum jet fuel.
    We are particularly excited about the recent partnerships 
we formed with some of the leading innovators in 
sustainability, including Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Microsoft, 
and Bank of America. These agreements and partnerships advance 
our collective goals to drive the aviation industry's 
transition to clean energy through the commercialization of a 
domestic energy source, sustainable aviation fuel.
    As we all know, aviation is essential to modern life. 
Flying has been my lifelong passion. I started really obsessing 
about airplanes at the age of 5, and by the time I was 18, I 
was learning how to become a commercial pilot and flew for over 
20 years. I have flown everything from bush planes in the 
remote parts of Alaska to Boeing 747s.
    My time as a pilot has provided me with some key insights 
in how aviation can grow sustainably. The amount of fuel 
required to power an aircraft is immense, as are the emissions 
that result from burning fossil-based jet fuel. In addition, 
without timely action, the aviation sector's emissions 
footprint could grow from 3 percent to 27 percent of the global 
carbon budget by 2050, due to the electrification of on-road 
transportation and other solutions.
    In 2004, I retired from the airline industry to start a 
biodiesel company called Imperium Renewables, located in 
Washington State. We built one of the world's largest 
commercial-scale biodiesel facilities in rural Washington, 
Hoquiam, in 2007. In 2008, we also produced the very first 
volume of sustainable aviation fuel used in the landmark 
demonstration with Boeing, Virgin Atlantic, and General 
Electric on a 747, showing that an airplane really, truly could 
fly on something besides petroleum jet fuel.
    The market and political landscapes around SAF are much 
different today than they were 14 years ago. Demand for SAF has 
skyrocketed, as companies across the U.S. economy seek to 
foster greater sustainability.
    I am also thrilled and thankful for the attention that U.S. 
policymakers and this subcommittee in particular have focused 
on our nascent industry. With the right policies in place, SAF 
can achieve scale quickly, and in a manner to both increase 
volume and decrease costs. A number of these actions can be met 
through this subcommittee.
    In addition to reducing emissions as much as 80 percent, a 
robust North American sustainable aviation fuels industry would 
attract private-sector investment and create jobs, especially 
in rural America or communities throughout the Nation that need 
these sort of innovative opportunities; ensure nationwide 
energy security by creating domestic fuel supply chains; and 
finally, help stabilize fuel prices by reducing the U.S. 
reliance on volatile global markets, as we see today.
    To be clear, SAF is not the only means to achieve net zero 
by 2050, but it is a tool for fostering job growth and economic 
security and energy security today, while meeting the goals of 
the aviation sector. Congress can champion three policies to 
support SAF and capture its economywide potential.
    First, Congress should advance the bipartisan Sustainable 
Skies Act. This is a critical blender's tax credit that would 
help reduce the costs.
    Second, Congress should create a SAF infrastructure grant 
program like the Senate AERO Act.
    And finally, Congress should support the administration's 
SAF Grand Challenge, a whole-of-Government effort to reduce the 
cost and expand the SAF supply.
    Thank you for the opportunity to participate today, and I 
look forward to questions as we continue the discussion.
    [Mr. Plaza's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of John Plaza, President and Chief Executive 
                     Officer, SkyNRG Americas, Inc.
    Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, and Members of the Aviation 
Subcommittee: Good afternoon. My name is John Plaza, and I'm CEO of 
SkyNRG Americas. Thank you for holding this important and timely 
hearing. I'm excited to discuss the opportunities and challenges 
associated with U.S. airports' efforts to address climate change--and 
the key role that sustainable aviation fuels (or ``SAF'') can play in 
decarbonizing aviation and enhancing energy independence. I also want 
to thank this committee and you, Chairman Larsen, for your continued 
leadership in support of domestic renewable fuels production.
    At SkyNRG, we are a dedicated team of industry-leading 
professionals who develop and execute commercial scale SAF production 
projects. Our planned production facilities in North America seek to 
increase SAF supply for a global network of aviation fuel users, 
including airlines and civil aviation, as well as national defense 
needs.
    Critically, SkyNRG is committed to sourcing SAF from waste-based 
feedstocks that uphold the highest sustainability standards and 
achieve, at a minimum, an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas 
emissions.
    We are particularly excited about the recent partnerships we've 
formed--with some of the leading global innovators in sustainability--
including Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Microsoft, and Bank of America. 
These agreements advance our overarching aim: to create sustainable, 
scalable, and cost-competitive solutions that will lead to the 
commercialization of SAF production and drive the aviation industry's 
transition to clean energy.
    As we all know, aviation is essential to modern life. Flying has 
been my lifelong passion since the age of five. I was a commercial 
airline pilot for more than 20 years and have flown everything from 
bush planes in Alaska to Boeing 747's.
    My time as a pilot provided me with some key insights in how 
aviation can grow sustainably. The amount of fuel required to power an 
aircraft is immense, as are the greenhouse gas emissions that result 
from burning fossil-based jet fuel. In fact, without timely action, the 
aviation sector's emissions footprint could grow from 3 percent to 27 
percent of the global carbon budget by 2050.\1\ We must find creative 
ways to decarbonize aviation, and we must do so in a way that supports 
fuel quality, aircraft safety, and cost-effectiveness, all while 
creating good-paying domestic jobs and an energy resilient economy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO 
Environmental Report 2016. (available here: https://www.icao.int/
environmental-protection/Documents/ICAO%20Environmental
%20Report%202016.pdf)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    After retiring from commercial flying in the early 2000s, I founded 
a biodiesel production company based in Seattle called Imperium 
Renewables. We built one of the largest commercial scale biodiesel 
production facilities in the United States. This facility, at 100 
million gallons per year of biofuel production, was built in a rural 
community in Washington state that continues to benefit significantly 
from these new energy transition jobs and investments. Notably, 
Imperium was also the first producer of SAF used in a landmark 
demonstration flight by a Virgin Atlantic Airlines Boeing 747 in 2008.
    The market and political landscapes around SAF are much different 
today than they were 14 years ago. Demand for SAF has skyrocketed, as 
aviation-centric companies across the U.S. economy seek to reduce their 
greenhouse gas emissions and achieve sustainability objectives. 
Additionally, I am both thrilled and thankful for the attention that 
U.S. policymakers--and this subcommittee in particular--have focused on 
our nascent industry. We are on the cusp of a historic growth 
opportunity.
    With the right federal policies in place, the U.S. SAF industry can 
achieve scale quickly enough to meet several key goals of this 
Subcommittee. A robust North American SAF industry would:
    (i)  reduce emissions from flights by as much as 80 percent 
relative to fossil-based jet fuel;
    (ii)  attract substantial private sector investment and create 
high-tech jobs, especially in rural communities across the country, 
including Washington state;
    (iii)  meet the substantial consumer demand for low-carbon fuels 
while ensuring flight safety and reliability;
    (iv)  promote U.S. innovation, leadership, and jobs in an industry 
with vast global potential;
    (v)  ensure nationwide energy security by creating clean, domestic 
fuel supply chains to power commercial and defense-related aviation; 
and
    (vi)  help stabilize aviation fuel prices by reducing U.S. reliance 
on global oil markets that have increasingly faced price volatility and 
supply disruptions.

    To be clear, SAF is not only a means to achieve net zero by 2050--
it is also a tool for fostering job growth and energy security today.
    Congress can champion three key policies to support SAF and capture 
its economy-wide potential. First, Congress should advance the 
bipartisan Sustainable Skies Act. The Act would create a blenders tax 
credit starting at $1.50 per gallon for SAF that achieves a 50 percent 
or greater lifecycle emissions reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 
as compared to fossil-based jet fuel. This legislation represents a 
pragmatic way to help the SAF industry attract greater private sector 
investment and realize price-parity with fossil-based fuels. This 
initiative also maintains broad industry support, including from others 
on this panel today, like Alaska Airlines.
    Second, Congress should formulate an infrastructure grant program 
dedicated to projects that will produce, transport, or store SAF. The 
Senate's Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity (AERO) Act, for 
example, would provide $1 billion over five years for infrastructure 
and technology grants. As many airports nationwide lack essential SAF 
infrastructure, these public investments would help accelerate and de-
risk investments across the supply chain by making SAF more available 
to airlines and bringing efficiency to the market.
    It is my hope that both of these crucial policies can be enacted 
this year.
    Finally, Congress should support the Administration's SAF Grand 
Challenge and identify ways to collaborate with federal agencies in 
this initiative. The SAF Grand Challenge is the result of DOT, DOE, 
USDA, and EPA launching a government-wide Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) that aims to reduce the cost and expand the supply of SAF. The 
administration's central target is to reach a SAF supply sufficient to 
meet 100 percent of aviation fuel demand by 2050.
    The SAF Grand Challenge is a recognition of the fact that any 
serious national effort to address climate issues must incorporate 
ambitious strategies to put downward pressure on aviation emissions. 
The Grand Challenge also offers the nation an opportunity to develop an 
entirely new energy industry that meets the needs of this critical 
sector. The U.S. must have an ambitious, whole-of-government plan in 
place to help guide successful policy and industry outcomes for the 
future of American aviation.
    One key element of the MOU is DOT's commitment to ``collaborating 
with EPA . . . on steps to expedite regulatory approvals of new SAF 
feedstocks that achieve significant lifecycle GHG reductions.'' \2\ For 
the past decade, regulatory backlogs have plagued SAF industry 
innovation, expansion, and long-term capital investment, so this will 
be a critical step in achieving industry goals. This Subcommittee can 
play a key role--through collaboration and oversight--in DOT's 
implementation of this and other elements of the Grand Challenge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ The White House, FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Advances the 
Future of Sustainable Fuels in American Aviation, Sept. 9, 2021 
(available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-
releases/2021/09/09/fact-sheet-biden-administration-advances-the-
future-of-sustainable-fuels-in-american-aviation/)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Lastly, it is important to note that SAF represents only .0005 
percent of total aviation fuel consumption in the U.S. today, a small 
drop in the sea of existing fossil jet fuel supply. Thoughtful, 
targeted policies are needed for the SAF industry to scale quickly 
enough to meet our nation's energy challenges. The return on 
investment, in the form of energy security, jobs, and environmental 
benefits, will be well worth it.
    I look forward to working with all members of this Subcommittee and 
the broader House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make 
sure this innovative American industry is successful. Thank you.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Plaza. Good to see 
you again.
    And finally we have the founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, Val 
Miftakhov, and you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Miftakhov. Thank you, Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member 
Graves, and the members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the 
opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Val Miftakhov. 
I am CEO and founder of ZeroAvia. We are a U.S.-headquartered 
leader of sustainable aviation powertrains that we build for 
commercial aircraft. And it is my privilege to speak to you 
today about airports and aviation sustainability.
    I started the company in 2017. I am a pilot myself, 
rotorcraft, fixed-wing, really passionate about aviation. And 
the reason I started the company was to, of course, address the 
growing challenge of climate change that was already mentioned 
in this forum; health outcomes that were already mentioned 
within a certain distance of the airports; 3 percent today of 
the carbon emissions worldwide.
    But of course, aviation climate impact is not just about 
carbon. We also have high-altitude particulate emissions; we 
have high-altitude NOx emissions; we have high-altitude, high-
temperature water vapor. And, as been mentioned already before, 
these types of pollutants may result in significant increase of 
the total climate impacts on top of the CO2 alone. 
And it is not inconceivable to see that aviation may become up 
to 50 percent of total human climate impact in the business-as-
usual trajectory if nothing is done, and all of these 
components are recognized, and the rest of the industries are 
cleaned up.
    So, ZeroAvia was set up to address this problem. We focus 
on large, fixed-wing aircraft. We have looked at all the 
technologies early on in terms of how to solve it. We decided 
that batteries are too heavy, hybrid electric is too 
incremental, biofuels cannot really scale to full 100 percent 
of aviation. Synthetic fuels start with green hydrogen. So, 
therefore, we thought that going after hydrogen combustion, or 
hydrogen-electric would be the most efficient way to move 
aviation to a clean future in the long term.
    So, out of those two, hydrogen-electric or hydrogen fuel 
cells are the most efficient way to address the problem. And 
so, they can really scale to the large size of aircraft. So, we 
focus on hydrogen fuel cells, zero emission, long range, low 
cost. And a number of third-party research suggests now that 
that can achieve abatement of 90 to 95 percent, and maybe even 
beyond of total human climate impacts from aviation, which is 
really, really important.
    I also want to highlight this is happening now. We already 
have flown the world's largest hydrogen-electric aircraft ever 
flown, and in the coming weeks, we will fly even larger 
aircraft with a new prototype, 20-seat aircraft that we are 
preparing for flight now. Economics are great, as well, so, it 
is good business. Capital expense is similar to turbines, 
operating expenses even lower, lower maintenance because of 
lower stresses. Fuel is potentially less expensive--$3 per 
kilogram of hydrogen cost is equivalent to $1.50 per gallon of 
jet fuel because of the efficiencies. And of course, that is 
already below wholesale price today. And with DOE targets like 
$1 per kilogram by the end of the decade, this definitely means 
good business.
    So, what does it mean for likely adoption? Rapid change. I 
witnessed with my previous company a rapid disruption in auto 
transportation. In 2010, EVs were a novelty. In 2017, when I 
sold my previous company that built the world's largest smart 
charging network for electric vehicles, we didn't see any new 
internal combustion cars in any of the car shows anymore. So, 
over just 7 years, Tesla, the U.S. manufacturer, has become the 
largest manufacturer of new cars in that market.
    So, now we see commercial aviation on the brink of a 
similar overtaking. Already, ZeroAvia has partnered with Alaska 
Airlines, United Airlines, British Airways, Amazon, and several 
large manufacturers to bring this technology to the market. 
Infrastructure is needed and possible, as well, and that is 
where we get to the airports. It is entirely possible to 
support this aviation undertaking with on-airport fuel 
production, and we need the infrastructure programs that would 
support it.
    Elsewhere, where we at ZeroAvia have presence--for example, 
the U.K.--there are several different programs by Innovate UK, 
Aerospace Technology Institute, and the Department for 
Transport that drive that infrastructure need. And we are 
looking forward to working together with the subcommittee and 
with the fellow companies in this field to help bring similar 
programs and cross-agency collaboration to this field and work 
on these problems.
    And I am looking forward to answering your questions. Thank 
you.
    [Mr. Miftakhov's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
   Prepared Statement of Val Miftakhov, Founder and Chief Executive 
                           Officer, ZeroAvia
    Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My 
name is Val Miftakhov, and I am the Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, the 
US-headquartered leader in designing and building zero-emission, 
hydrogen-electric powertrain systems and deploying them to commercial 
aircraft. It is my privilege to speak to you about airports and 
sustainability, the work we are doing at ZeroAvia, and the steps we can 
take to facilitate the transition to a green hydrogen economy.
                  Zero-emission Aviation Is Happening.
    In 2017, after years of building--and eventually selling--the 
largest smart charging network for electric vehicles, I launched 
ZeroAvia with one purpose: to tackle the mode of commercial 
transportation where it has proven most difficult to deliver emissions 
abatement: aviation.
    Aviation is responsible for just under three percent of global 
carbon emissions, but its footprint goes much deeper than just 
carbon.\1\ A number of recent climate modeling techniques and 
associated published papers suggest that total aviation emissions are 
warming the climate at about three times the rate of CO2 
aviation emissions alone.\2\ Combustion creates and releases airborne 
nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate emissions (soot), and high-
temperature water vapor at high altitudes where they all contribute 
significantly to overall climate impact from aviation. These non-
CO2 emissions, as well as contrails, are known to have a 
`multiplier effect' on climate change.\3\ Science also tells us that 
around 10 percent of aircraft emissions come during taxi, takeoff, 
initial climb, and during the approach and landing, amplifying the 
impact on local populations.\4\ Some studies have shown adverse 
respiratory health outcomes for residents within 10 km of the major 
airports, for example.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Graver, B., Zhang, K., Rutherford, D., 2019. CO2 
Emissions from Commercial Aviation: 2018. ICCT Working Paper 2019-16. 
International Council on Clean Transportation. https://theicct.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/06/ICCT_CO2-commercl-aviation-2018_20190918.pdf
    \2\ Arrowsmith, S., Lee, D., Owen, B., Faber, J., 2020. Updated 
Analysis of Non-CO2 Climate Impacts of Aviation and 
Potential Policy Measures. Report from the European Commission to the 
European Parliament and the Council. European Union Aviation Safety 
Agency. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:7bc666c9-
2d9c-11eb-b27b-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
    \3\ Lee, D., Fahey, D., Forster, P., Newton, P., Wit, R., Lim, L., 
Owen, B. and Sausen, R., 2009. Aviation and global climate change in 
the 21st century. Atmospheric Environment, 43(22-23), pp. 3520-3537.
    \4\ Overton, J., 2019. The Growth in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 
Commercial Aviation. Fact Sheet. Environmental and Energy Study 
Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-growth-in-
greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-commercial-aviation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    When we started ZeroAvia, we took an open approach to finding the 
most scalable solution that would mitigate the greatest share of 
aviation's climate impact, and, given my prior company was focused on 
electric vehicle charging, we certainly looked at battery-electric 
approaches. Battery-electric propulsion, which is currently leading the 
vehicle industry, can eliminate most of the emissions, but 
unfortunately batteries are just too heavy for commercial-scale larger 
aircraft, and battery-life constraints mean frequent--and costly--
replacement, which would also significantly disrupt any high-
utilization commercial applications of such aircraft.
    Alternative combustion fuels like Sustainable Aviation Fuels are a 
good starting point, and a good first step in reducing carbon 
emissions. With predicted demand growth in aviation, however, we need 
to develop technologies to eliminate carbon emissions and tackle other 
remaining types of emissions. ZeroAvia is focused on that goal. We look 
at it in stages of evolution, with SAF, as noted above, helping to 
reduce carbon output as we transition to hydrogen. Even hydrogen 
combustion, while of course zero-carbon, still carries negative effects 
of NOx and high-temperature water vapor emissions. Finally, all 
combustion technologies suffer from lower efficiency compared to the 
electrified powertrains, including hydrogen fuel-cell based.
    So, for a holistic solution, the answer must be electrification, 
and this can be achieved through electric propulsion using hydrogen 
fuel-cells. This technology eliminates CO2, NO2, 
SOx, and soot. Its only emission is the water vapor by-product of the 
fuel-cell, but even that occurs at low temperature (below 200C vs. 
1,000C+ for the combustion engines), which allows clever management of 
this output to avoid all negative climate effects. Additionally, the 
hydrogen-electric approach is truly scalable, as ZeroAvia has been 
demonstrating.
    A number of third-party research efforts now support these 
findings. For example, in a study published in June 2020, Clean Sky, 
the largest European research program, estimated that direct-burn 
hydrogen systems can reduce the global warming effect of flying by 
between 50 and 75 percent, and SAFs can reduce it by between 30 and 60 
percent. The study's authors believe that the fuel cell has the 
potential to reduce full climate impact by 75 to 90 percent.\5\ 
Further, the most recent output of the landmark FlyZero project by the 
UK's Aerospace Technology Institute points to hydrogen as a primary 
vector to fight the climate impact of aviation, with hydrogen-electric 
approaches achieving the highest--at least 90%--levels of abatement. In 
a table below, I summarize these various factors for all six major 
approaches to aviation climate impact.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ Hydrogen-powered aviation: A Fact-Based Study Clean Sky May 
2020--https://
www.fch.europa.eu/sites/default/files/FCH%20Docs/
20200507_Hydrogen%20Powered
%20Aviation%20report_FINAL%20web%20%28ID%208706035%29.pdf

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

 Figure 1: H2-Electric is the only scalable, zero-emission 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               solution.

    To be clear, we are not talking about technology for 2050 or even 
2035. In September 2020, ZeroAvia flew a 6-seat aircraft equipped with 
our ZA600, 600-kilowatt powertrain, the largest H2-electric 
aircraft ever flown. In the coming weeks, we will fly a 19-seat, twin-
engine aircraft powered by one of our hydrogen-electric ZA600s. By 
2024, we expect to see commercial service with aircraft powered by 
ZA600 powertrains, delivering true zero climate impact flights. And, by 
2026, we anticipate 40-80 passenger commercial aircraft flying with our 
next-size ZA2000 2-to-5 megawatt powertrains, also currently in 
development and with partnerships in place with the likes of Alaska 
Airlines and United Airlines as early adopters.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

 Figure 2: ZeroAvia's flight path_all segments, starting with 500-mile 
                       range, 10-20 seat capacity

    Importantly, aviation is a great use case for hydrogen fuel-cell 
adoption, not just because it is a practical solution to aviation's 
climate change impacts, but also because the economics are attractive. 
With significantly lower material stresses compared to modern 
combustion turbines, major overhaul and repair costs will be 
significantly lower than they are for combustion engines. It is a 
common misconception that hydrogen fuel costs will be a barrier to 
aviation uptake when it is, in fact, likely to be a key selling point. 
Green hydrogen--which is made using only renewable energy and water--
can have a cost today as low as $3 per kg, which is equivalent to $1.50 
per gallon of jet fuel and which is, of course, already substantially 
below the current wholesale cost of jet fuel. For smaller operators in 
sub-regional and regional sectors, hydrogen-electric operation can 
already deliver dramatic cost savings. We calculate rapidly falling 
green hydrogen prices with $2.2/kg in the near term, and major 
governments, including the recently announced U.S. DOE effort, target 
$1/kg by the end of the decade. So, the environmental and economic 
cases are strong, but what does that mean for likely adoption?
    Consider the example of the motor vehicle industry. After decades 
of efforts to make engines for passenger cars and heavy trucks more 
efficient, those incremental steps were quickly overtaken by a 
fundamental shift to electric-drive vehicles. In 2010, I saw that 
change coming and started a company to build the charging 
infrastructure those vehicles would need. Today, a relatively new US-
based car manufacturer--Tesla--virtually controls this new vehicle 
market, and is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Now, 
commercial aviation is on the brink of a similar overtaking.
    Of course, a large-scale transition to hydrogen-electric aircraft 
presents airports with the similar challenge of preparing their 
infrastructure for a more sustainable future. However, given the 
concentration of flights in commercial aviation, the infrastructure 
challenge is not nearly so daunting as it would be for migrating ground 
transport to a new drive technology. Consider the fact that 97% of all 
commercial traffic in the US is concentrated in just 150 airports. To 
repower aviation, the industry would therefore need about a hundred 
hydrogen fueling locations--contrast that with the more than 100,000 
automobile gas stations in operation in the US today.
    Furthermore, because of the hydrogen volume required by hydrogen-
electric aircraft propulsion, airports also have an enormous 
opportunity to become centralized hydrogen hubs. ZeroAvia calculates, 
for example, that Houston Airport (IAH) would require 10 tons of 
hydrogen per day to operate just 50 percent of its sub-250 nautical 
mile flights. Given the volumes required as the system converts to 
hydrogen propulsion at scale across the sizes of aircraft and ranges of 
travel, the case for on-site production becomes quite compelling. And, 
economies of scale can deliver low hydrogen production costs, creating 
a big opportunity to convert ground operation vehicles, onward 
transportation, and proximate industry to hydrogen fuel where it can 
deliver further emissions reductions. This more deeply reduces the 
climate change impact of the aviation sector at large, and improves air 
quality for the airport and its neighboring residents.
    ZeroAvia is already demonstrating this potential on a small scale. 
In addition to our aircraft, we operate multiple hydrogen fuel-cell 
road vehicles as part of our operations at Cotswold Airport in the UK 
and at Hollister Municipal Airport in California, demonstrating the 
value of hydrogen fuel cells for ground transport and ground 
operations. Airports that leverage this opportunity by producing low-
carbon hydrogen on-site will create a new and valuable airport revenue 
stream and set the stage for true zero-emission aviation in the United 
States.
Airports Need Support to Build Infrastructure for Sustainable Aviation.
    Transitioning to a green-hydrogen economy will require support. 
Airport funding programs in their current incarnations do not help 
airports make these investments. While the Department of Energy 
Hydrogen Hub program should prioritize supporting a handful of airports 
(especially given the impacts that airports can have as Hubs in 
themselves), that program alone will not be enough to facilitate 
widespread adoption of this game-changing technology.
    In the United Kingdom, ZeroAvia's expanding operations are 
supported by grants from the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute and 
Innovate UK. In addition, our landside-to-airside hydrogen airport 
pipeline, Europe's first, received support from the UK Government's 
Department for Transport and the Connected Places Catapult as part of 
the Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure program to enable airports and 
airfields to prepare for the future of zero-emission operations.
    The U.S. lacks such a zero emission airport infrastructure program. 
But, modifying existing Federal Aviation Administration airport funding 
and other financing programs can make a significant difference, 
encouraging adoption and helping restore the U.S. leadership in new 
aviation technologies. Historically, the FAA's airport programs and 
aircraft programs have been fully separated. Programs to develop more 
sustainable aviation are walled off from programs that help airports 
develop more sustainable ground operations. A solar array that 
generates the energy needed for the electrolysis that produces hydrogen 
will serve both aircraft and ground vehicles, but to which FAA office 
does the airport director apply? The transition to hydrogen will 
require leadership to open those silos.
    Amending aspects of the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), Airport 
Improvement Program (AIP), and Voluntary Airport Low-Emission (VALE) 
tools to include hydrogen production projects that supply airport 
vehicles and aircraft will be a great step forward. For example, in the 
current VALE Technical Report (version 7), published 12 years ago, both 
fuel-cell technology and transport of hydrogen are labeled as being 
``in the R&D stage and not yet commercially viable.'' Given the 
advancements we and others are making technically and commercially, 
this urgently requires revision. Bringing program guidelines up to date 
will result in tools that better serve today's airports.
    Credit programs like the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIFIA 
program will also help. In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
(IIJA) enacted last year, airport landside TIFIA eligibility, which was 
not prohibited in TIFIA's initial parameters, was explicitly included 
in the program, but the language does not encourage an airport project 
that supports ground transportation as well as aviation. Whether this 
takes the form of expanded TIFIA eligibility or a new aviation-specific 
credit program, the same investment-friendly terms will incentivize the 
transition to sustainable aviation. When airports use renewable energy 
sources to produce hydrogen that can be both used in their ground 
operations vehicles and sold to air carriers, they will have access to 
new revenue streams that can be used to service loans in the same way 
that highway tolling provides a loan service stream for a traditional 
TIFIA loan.
    Infrastructure credits offer another approach to incentivize 
airports toward on-site green-hydrogen production. Within a new Federal 
clean fuel program, for example, airports investing in green-hydrogen 
would earn credits that can be sold to fuel providers whose products 
garner deficits by exceeding a statutory carbon-intensity (CI) 
standard. This is one aspect of California's successful Low Carbon Fuel 
Standard (LCFS) program. In the LCFS, an entity that provides electric-
vehicle charging stations earns credits that can be sold to a 
transportation fuel supplier whose fuel mix does not meet State CI 
standards.
    These are just a few avenues toward timely development of airport 
green-hydrogen production to support more sustainable ground operations 
as well as zero-emission aviation. We at ZeroAvia look forward to 
working with the Subcommittee, with our colleagues in sustainable 
aviation, and with America's airports to expedite this crucial 
transition.
              Commercial Aviation Emissions Can Be Abated.
    Under the right conditions, a path to initial safe, zero climate 
impact commercial flight by 2024 and large-scale removal of emissions 
from regional aviation by 2030 are absolutely achievable. The costs of 
failure in this pursuit far outweigh the costs of implementation. First 
and foremost, failure means that, as other sectors successfully reduce 
their footprints, aviation will contribute a larger and larger 
proportion of climate impact, with many estimates suggesting a 25-50% 
share for aviation by 2050 in the business-as-usual scenario. 
Sustainable aviation technology already developed will languish on the 
shelf, benefiting no one. Air carriers will not be able to lower their 
emissions beyond the incremental improvements made possible by 
Sustainable Aviation Fuels and engine efficiencies. And, U.S. skies 
will suffer. In that scenario, either people stop flying--as the 
growing pattern of European travel demonstrates--or the climate crisis 
worsens.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ Garay, E., 2022. How Short-Haul Flight Bans Are Transforming 
European Travel. Conde Nast Traveler. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/
how-short-haul-flight-bans-are-transforming-european-travel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Additionally, while some airports find the resources to make the 
necessary investments in green-hydrogen and begin to benefit from the 
new revenue streams it creates, other airports will be unable to 
compete and will lose service. The immediate cost of airport closures 
is that travelers will have to drive longer distances to access air 
routes. Over time, however, the lack of air carrier access will impinge 
on communities' economic competitiveness.
    The technology for zero-emission aviation exists today, and we will 
see commercial hydrogen-electric service before this decade is halfway 
through. Congress and the FAA have positioned the U.S. aviation system 
to lead the world. Those of us pursuing sustainable aviation welcome 
the opportunity to work with you to continue that leadership.
    Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today, and I look 
forward to answering your questions.

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. Thank you. All the 
witnesses have given us great food for thought, and we move to 
questions now. And I am going to start by recognizing the chair 
of the full committee, Representative Peter DeFazio.
    Mr. DeFazio. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
    Ms. Bies, can Portland access the VALE program in order to 
reduce its emissions?
    Ms. Bies. Chairman DeFazio, thank you for that question. 
No, we are in attainment, meaning that we have reduced our air 
toxics----
    Mr. DeFazio [interrupting]. Right, but you can't access 
that program, is that correct?
    Ms. Bies. Exactly----
    Mr. DeFazio [interrupting]. You are not eligible.
    Ms. Bies. Correct.
    Mr. DeFazio. That is right?
    Ms. Bies. Yes.
    Mr. DeFazio. OK. I tried to correct that in H.R. 2 and want 
to bring it to the attention of the committee and see if we can 
do something this year to make all airports eligible, because 
carbon is not an attainment issue, EPA attainment issue. It is 
an overall issue in terms of climate change.
    One other quick question. I was there with the President, 
and someone made a presentation on your new earthquake-
resistant runway because we are anticipating a major quake in 
the Northwest, and that would be our one supply route left. 
Were you eligible for AIP funds for the extra costs to make 
that resilient, so the Government won't have to rebuild it 
after an earthquake?
    Ms. Bies. We have only successfully secured funding to 
complete the design at this point, not for construction.
    Mr. DeFazio. OK, thank you. That is pretty damn 
shortsighted, and we will see what we can do to help with that.
    And then, to Val Miftakhov--did I get that right, sir? Yes?
    What is the range we are talking about here? I am very 
intrigued by what you are looking at, in partnership with 
Alaska Airlines and United, in terms of the--you were 
projecting in the not too distant future to have a commuter 
aircraft, I think, 2026.
    Mr. Miftakhov. That is correct. Thank you for the question.
    We are projecting a 2024 or 2025 launch of a 10- to 20-seat 
aircraft with our engines. In 2026 or 2027, a 50- to 70-seat 
aircraft. And the partnership with United is about the regional 
jets that we are looking to deploy before the end of the 
decade.
    Mr. DeFazio. And what would the--OK, I see that. That is 
3,000 nautical miles. It didn't say for the 40- to 90-seat one, 
the range. It said, UAM. I don't know what that means.
    Mr. Miftakhov. Yes, so, the initial range in 2024-2025 is 
about 300-400 nautical miles plus reserves. So, this is with 
reasonable commercial reserves. And 2026 is 700 miles.
    Mr. DeFazio. You also mentioned--I mean, obviously, now--
right now you are using what would be brown hydrogen, or even 
what the industry likes to call blue hydrogen, which is still a 
fossil-fuel pollutant. You mentioned green hydrogen. Is any 
airport currently producing green hydrogen?
    I know of one transit district in America that is cracking 
water to produce hydrogen for their fuel cell buses. Are there 
any airports doing anything like that, or anyone anticipating 
doing anything like that?
    [No response.]
    Mr. DeFazio. OK, I guess we lost him there somewhere.
    OK. Well, I would be interested in the answer if we can get 
it at a later time.
    And let's see, I think I have one other question, Mr. 
Chairman. I still have a minute here. Let me go back to my 
questions. Yes. I was going to ask--again, Mr. Hoback, the 
microgrid.
    What advice would you give to other airports on doing the 
microgrid?
    And again, was the microgrid AIP-eligible?
    Mr. Hoback. Thank you for the great question, Chairman 
DeFazio. The microgrid was not AIP eligible.
    And what advice would I give to other airports? It is so 
important, when planning big transformational projects like 
this, to make sure that you are securing those partnerships. 
The biggest thing that we saw that made our project, our 
microgrid project, so successful was the tremendous local 
partnerships through our public-private partnership. We didn't 
put a dime of capital into building our microgrid.
    So, having those partners right from the start to help come 
up with the solutions that help you achieve your goals is so 
very important. Thank you.
    Mr. DeFazio. But again, another shortcoming of the AIP 
program. I think that is the third one we have just mentioned. 
So, thank you. Thanks for the work you are doing there.
    Thanks to all the witnesses. This is a great hearing, and I 
am looking forward to this new future for aviation.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. The Chair recognizes 
Representative Graves of Louisiana for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you.
    Colonel Bunce, I appreciate you being back before the 
committee again. And as I covered in my opening statement, I am 
a little bothered that we are not here today talking about some 
of the new technology, new entrants into the market. I know 
that your association represents a lot of the big names in AAM.
    Can you talk a little bit about how the FAA's decision to 
abandon the part 23 and go into the special aircraft category 
is impacting your members' ability to move forward?
    Mr. Bunce. Absolutely. As you mentioned, we passed the part 
23 rewrite back in 2016, and that followed the unanimous vote 
by Congress on the Small Aircraft Revitalization Act in 2013.
    Since 2016, we were going forward with this process of 
being able to certify these aircraft as airplanes with a 
vertical capability. And even the previous FAA Administrator 
announced publicly that is the way we were going in a very--
what I would consider very nontransparent process. They only 
talked to just certain applicants that were the most further 
advanced in the area to tell them that we were going to shift 
course. They now have reversed the way we are going to certify.
    So, what is the impact? We don't know, because we haven't 
had the meetings with the FAA, whether we could even validate 
these machines. And you know we have got to be able to validate 
with other authorities to be able to fly these as global 
products.
    But the other thing--and I heard your frustration, as well 
as Chair DeFazio's frustration--it does concern me about 
rulemaking. Because in the previous path, we were going to go 
under some deviations and waivers until a rule was done. Now, 
if there is not going to be a delay, we have got to hold the 
FAA to their word that there won't be a delay, and they have to 
pass what is called an SFAR, which is Special Federal Aviation 
Regulation.
    Right now, if you go on the website, the agency is 50 rules 
behind, and one of those is an omnibus rule with 10 rules in 
it. And these are pretty significant rules. There are 
cybersecurity rules that were done back in 2016. There are 
rules that came out of ACSA. There are also rules on just 
flight training, the way we do flight training in this country.
    And so, we are now--we have created this funnel. And for us 
to be able to meet the timelines we want with advanced air 
mobility, something has to give. We have got to get through 
this process very quickly. So, with a 2-year timeline to be 
able to get these machines in the air, the FAA has a lot of 
work to do. And we hope that you will help us hold them 
accountable to work their processes and make some changes so 
that we can get through the system.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Sure. And Colonel, look, we are 
excited about the conveniences and the advances that the new 
technology provides. But if the approval system is going to be 
the throttle, then we are going to run into some pretty 
significant problems in regard to being able to realize those 
benefits.
    Mr. Hoback, I appreciate you being here and with us today 
and covering some of the efforts of the Pittsburgh Airport. 
Obviously, what you are doing with the microgrid is amazing, 
not just powering airport operations, but also a hotel and a 
gas station. And importantly, you are producing energy onsite, 
covering your own energy needs, which includes, I think, some 
of the criteria we have advocated for: reliable, affordable, 
clean, exportable, and secure supply chains.
    Can you talk about how your strategy moving forward will be 
able to facilitate some of the new technology we just discussed 
with Colonel Bunce, specifically some of the charging stations 
and others?
    Mr. Hoback. Yes, yes, sure. Thank you so much for the 
question, Ranking Member Graves.
    We believe it is critically important to both be looking at 
the long-term future from a renewable energy standpoint, but 
also really having some transitional time to really focus on 
things that we can do right now by utilizing some of the energy 
resources that we have right here on the airport property.
    We are very fortunate to be sitting atop the Marcellus 
Shale, and have partners that are certainly providing those 
natural gas resources and utilizing them in projects like our 
microgrid. But certainly, looking at some of the other 
opportunities that we have to utilize technology right now by 
working with those partners is something that we are pursuing 
right now.
    Obviously, looking at the electrical vehicles and utilizing 
some of that 7 megawatts of capacity to be able to support 
electric-vehicle charging stations is something that we are 
looking at, among many other things.
    So, yes, we are absolutely looking at some of those 
technologies. So, thank you very much for the question.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Great, thank you. I am out of 
time, but I am going to submit for the record--I am very 
curious about what you see as being some of the obstacles or 
impediments to your ability to meet your net-zero goal. And I 
would also love to hear a little bit about some of your 
thoughts on price thresholds. So, I will submit that for the 
record, and look forward to you all's answer.
    I yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. All right. I recognize myself for 
5 minutes.
    Mr. Plaza, your testimony referenced the lack of essential 
SAF infrastructure at airports across the country. What types 
of essential SAF infrastructure do airports need?
    Our impression is that SAF is really a drop-in fuel. So, 
what else do airports need for sustainable aviation fuel?
    Mr. Plaza. Well, thank you for the question, Chairman 
Larsen, and I think it is a complex topic because every airport 
is different.
    But fundamentally, SAF is approved for blending up to 50 
percent with kerosene or petroleum jet fuel. And so, often, one 
of the challenges for airports is that blending needed, and 
the, sort of, the distributed tank storage that would allow for 
that blend to then enter into the facility.
    I think the other item that we are seeing is this ties into 
resilience. And there are certain airports along the west coast 
where resiliency of supply due to weather, earthquakes, and 
other, sort of, challenges complement the ability to bring in 
SAF blending at those regional airports.
    So, infrastructure at airports is a key component for the 
industry to enable these new fuels to then get to our customers 
like Alaska Airlines and others.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Ms. Ardizzone, could you address 
that a little bit? You have signed an MOU with SkyNRG to 
increase investment in SAF, but what does that MOU entail? And 
what limitations do you see still, other than the blended--
other than the tax credit?
    Ms. Ardizzone. Sure. So, related specifically to the 
infrastructure, I would really like to call out a couple of 
things.
    Commercial scale quantities of sustainable feedback, I 
think we have covered that quite a bit today; feedstock 
processing and transportation facilities; facilities to convert 
feedstock into SAF; facilities to blend SAF with Jet A; 
confirmation that the fuel quality and environmental standards 
have been met; transportation of the SAF purchased by the 
airline to the airport; and receipt and deployment of blended 
SAF at airports.
    There is really quite a bit of infrastructure that needs to 
be in place.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. How much can be used through 
existing infrastructure?
    I mean, right now, Jet A is delivered by refineries through 
pipelines to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as a for-
instance.
    Ms. Ardizzone. So, for one thing, we are going to need 
everybody to produce SAF, not just folks that are dedicated to 
new forms of biomass, but we are going to need traditional fuel 
suppliers to get into the SAF business if we are going to meet 
demand.
    Knowing that we have an existing infrastructure today is 
fantastic. We can use a lot of it. But because we will have 
geographic diversity, it means we are going to have new forms 
of infrastructure to supply that to airports, particularly if 
we want to get to the smaller airports.
    One thing I want to really call out is, to me, SAF is like 
the Triple Crown. It is going to have economic advantages 
because it is going to produce jobs, because we are going to 
see an explosion of the market. It is going to provide energy 
security. And lastly, substantial greenhouse gas emissions 
reduction. So, Triple Crown.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thanks.
    Mr. Horton, can you explain a little bit more for me--and 
maybe it is in your written testimony in more detail--what you 
meant by stress testing for resilience, and why that is 
important?
    Mr. Horton. Yes. Thank you again, Chairman Larsen.
    A lot of us in the industry focus on stress testing through 
tabletop exercises and other measures that are designed to 
really think through how an event cascades.
    What we are really looking at, when you look at modern 
research or current research on resilience, there needs to be 
an emphasized focus on recovering quickly and adapting to 
changes. So, the stress testing is really designed to determine 
how potential failures can cascade through an airport system.
    We know that the airports are very complex systems, and 
they have a lot of dependencies that link each component 
together. So, our desire is to, again, put more emphasis on 
conducting the stress testing, much like the financial industry 
has seen, so that we can uncover some of those critical links.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. What would you determine are the 
causes of those links breaking up, according to the tests that 
you have done?
    Mr. Horton. So, some of what we have seen is that our 
industry has prioritized--and justifiably so--safety and 
efficiency, but not really an indepth focus on resilience, on 
the recovering quickly. And so, when you harden those systems 
from a risk perspective, you are looking at preventing the 
systems from failing, because the consequences can be 
catastrophic.
    But in resilience thinking, the idea is to--again, as I 
mentioned before--allow you to preserve a critical function. 
One of the things we learned through COVID is that the role of 
the airport is continuing to increase in importance. And when 
people weren't flying, we did see that we were shipping freight 
and critical supplies around the world.
    So, again, hardening to prevent failure is not as 
beneficial as enabling resilience capabilities.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thanks. I will now recognize 
Representative Kahele from Hawaii for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Kahele. Aloha, Chair Larsen, Ranking Member Graves. 
Mahalo for holding his hearing to discuss this important issue 
at the Aviation Subcommittee today.
    As a lifetime pilot, I also share the chair's enthusiasm 
with sustainable aviation fuels.
    The State of Hawaii, isolated in the middle of the Pacific, 
is dependent on air travel. As a result, Hawaii is trying to do 
its part by focusing on reducing its dependency on fossil fuels 
and exploring various avenues to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions. Currently, nearly one-third of the energy consumed 
in the State of Hawaii is used for jet fuel, which is a higher 
proportion of petroleum consumption than any other energy 
sector in the islands.
    As the State moves towards sustainable aviation fuels, this 
will allow our State to reduce fossil fuel impacts on the 
environment, improve the health of the State's communities, and 
provide sustainable new business opportunities. This measure 
will shift the State towards sustainable aviation fuels, and I 
believe develop and establish new economic opportunities, 
creating jobs and establishing a sustainable aviation fuel 
program in the State to fuel the large number of domestic and 
international aircraft that operate and transit the Hawaiian 
Islands each and every day.
    My question is for Mr. Plaza. Last year, the Biden 
administration launched the SAF Grand Challenge, which aims to 
reduce aviation emissions by 20 percent, and produce 3 billion 
gallons of SAF annually by 2030. What would your 
recommendations be to help ensure this effort can support newer 
SAF developers for places like Hawaii, where we have a tropical 
environment?
    We have and can grow an abundance of biomass feedstock. We 
have the potential for hydrogen, and we need to make the 
necessary investments to scale SAF production in Hawaii. How 
would we do that, Mr. Plaza?
    Mr. Plaza. Thank you, Congressman. I will give you a short 
answer, and will follow up, certainly, with more details, 
because I think you bring a really important point to the 
table, how do communities like Hawaii sort of prosper in this 
new area.
    Fundamentally, the SAF Grand Challenge requires a 
continuation of focus on tax credits, as we have talked about. 
I won't belabor that point any more, other than to say there is 
wide-scale support for the BTC, or the SAF blender's tax 
credit. That is a key enabler.
    The other component that I think is worth mentioning, which 
is not necessarily in the committee's, sort of, focus, but it 
is the recognition that programs like the Renewable Fuel 
Standard, which support the development of clean fuels, need to 
have embraced these new solutions, such as hydrogen as a source 
for energy for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, 
such as new feedstocks like renewable natural gas that we are 
focused on. So, today, the only fuel that is approved for the 
program under the RFS are crop-based fuels. And as we all 
agree, those are limited in scale, and we really need to focus 
on these new solutions.
    So, I think Hawaii can be a meaningful participant in this 
space. You do have the resources that can enable these new 
technologies like companies that are here today are talking 
about, whether that be sustainable aviation fuel and/or green 
hydrogen. And I think it is a really exciting opportunity. But 
we do need leadership and new policy, both from the tax side as 
well as the regulatory side under EPA. Thank you.
    Mr. Kahele. Mahalo, Mr. Plaza, and I will yield back the 
remaining balance of my time.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. The Chair recognizes 
Mr. Balderson of Ohio for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Balderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I know the 
ranking member, Mr. Graves, talked about this, but I am really 
fascinated with this. So, this is for Mr. Hoback.
    On your Pittsburgh International's energy production 
apparatus that you have there, your airport has the world's 
first microgrid that is entirely self-sufficient. What are the 
changes you have seen in cost and reliability for the airport's 
energy supply since implementation of onsite natural gas and 
solar energy production?
    Mr. Hoback. Yes, so, thank you so much for the question, 
Mr. Representative.
    We have seen significant changes. In the first year of 
operation, we have saved over $1 million from our previous 
electric bills, which is significant and amounts to over 12 
percent of our total cost to operate here.
    From a resiliency standpoint, we are completely off the 
grid. So, the actual electrical grid is our backup power. So, 
we have tested this with our partners, and it is a tremendous 
opportunity for an airport like us, who relies so importantly 
on maintaining power during critical operations, that we have 
that type of resiliency. So, it has been a tremendous addition, 
from an infrastructure standpoint, to our campus.
    Mr. Balderson. OK, thank you.
    Mr. Hoback. Thank you, sir.
    Mr. Balderson. A followup: is it feasible? Is 
implementation of a self-sufficient power grid something all 
commercial airports should consider?
    Mr. Hoback. We absolutely believe that it is. It is 
absolutely feasible.
    I mean, we do use some of the gas that we produce right 
here on the property. But it is absolutely 100 percent feasible 
that it would be a great addition, from a microgrid standpoint, 
and to be--especially for those airports that have less 
resilient power grids, for them to take control of their own 
destiny by putting in something like a microgrid. Yes, sir.
    Mr. Balderson. All right.
    Mr. Hoback. Thank you.
    Mr. Balderson. Thank you, Mr. Hoback. I will ask you one 
more question.
    In 2014, your airport entered into an agreement with CONSOL 
Energy--it is right across the border from me, so, I am 
familiar with this company--regarding natural gas production. 
Can you speak to what benefits that partnership has had for the 
airport and the community as a whole?
    I mean, I am sure they appreciate it.
    Mr. Hoback. Yes, certainly. So, that has been very 
important.
    If you know anything about Pittsburgh International 
Airport, we were a former major hub of U.S. Airways. So, when I 
started at the airport back in the year 2000, we had 21 million 
passengers, most of which were connecting traffic. And then you 
had 9/11, two U.S. Airways bankruptcies, and the dehubbing of 
Pittsburgh. So, that led to much fewer passengers using 
Pittsburgh International Airport and much less access to 
capital and to capital expenditures.
    So, us taking control of our own destiny, relying on some 
revenue that is produced from this energy resource that is 
right here on the airport property, has been critical to us 
really making some transformational changes that we have made 
over the last 6 or 7 years here at Pittsburgh International 
Airport. So, it has been absolutely very important, frankly, 
for us as an airport.
    Mr. Balderson. Well, thank you very much. And thank you for 
your time today.
    And, Mr. Chairman, I yield back my remaining time.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Representative 
Balderson.
    The Chair recognizes Representative Mace of South Carolina 
for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Mace. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In a little over a 
century of the airline industry, aviation has gone from 
learning to fly to learning to fly faster, and learning to fly 
further, learning to fly heavier planes. And now, having over 
100,000 commercial flights occurring around the world each and 
every day, that is over 400 departures per hour. Aviation is at 
the forefront of innovation to become--and is--one of the 
safest, most reliable modes of transportation in the world 
today.
    I have learned a lot in my first year in Congress, learned 
a lot about the aviation industry trying to become greener and 
cleaner with fuels. And so, I have a few questions today for 
Ms. Ardizzone.
    Thank you for being here this afternoon. Aviation is a 
particularly difficult transportation sector to decarbonize, 
despite the incredible advances that we have had over the last 
century. What else can Congress do to support the aviation and 
airline industry in meeting its climate goals?
    Ms. Ardizzone. Thank you very much. And I do want to again 
call out the fact that we have had significant improvements 
over the last couple of decades, particularly from aircraft 
manufacturers and engine manufacturers.
    I have called them out today, but I want to call it that 
again. First and foremost, support the Sustainable Skies Act 
that creates the blender's tax credit. It is really constructed 
very well. It is available for the next 10 years. It makes SAF 
commercially viable by accelerating production. And that, in 
turn, will drive down the price by rewarding fuels with 
improved environmental benefit. So, we think the way it is 
structured is really smart.
    Secondly, support an infrastructure grant program designed 
to produce, transport, and source SAF. That is the AERO Act.
    Third, expand the VALE program by allowing more airports to 
participate. For example, both Seattle and Portland cannot 
participate today.
    Four, work to expedite regulatory approvals of new SAF 
feedstocks. The current process is crushing innovation, 
expansion, and capital investment.
    Thank you.
    Ms. Mace. Thank you. Yes, thank you. That was very 
detailed, and it actually answers my second question I had this 
afternoon of what else we could be incentivizing or 
considering. And thank you for that detail.
    If a sustainable aviation fuel market becomes more 
competitive, if costs go down, quantity increases so it is more 
affordable. Could you describe what is the next step after that 
for the airline industry to be greener, to address climate 
issues within aviation?
    Ms. Ardizzone. Well, I do think it is going to take several 
decades for SAF to be prevalent enough to support the industry. 
But we also know we have to meet long-term obligations of 
changing to, probably, some kind of energy-based or electric-
based systems.
    In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to, I will 
say, change the culture and operational performance of the 
airline. So, one thing we have done is that we have added a 
carbon emissions goal to our performance-based pay. And this 
isn't just available to our leadership. It is available to all 
of our frontline employees. So, everyone starts thinking, all 
23,000 employees, what can we be doing every day to make sure 
we reduce carbon emissions?
    But long term, we believe it is important for us to start 
working with and signaling to the market, particularly folks 
like SkyNRG and our friends with--I am sorry--ZeroAvia--my 
apologies--that are doing things to actually transform the 
industry.
    Ms. Mace. Thank you.
    Thank you, Chairman Larsen. I yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. I will recognize now 
Representative Williams of Georgia for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Williams of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you 
mentioned earlier, we are working on a discussion draft of the 
Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity Act, or AERO Act. Our 
discussion draft builds on the Senate's AERO Act by not only 
investing in sustainable aviation fuel, but also funding the 
Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise, or the CLEEN 
program. It will keep our skies quieter and our air cleaner. 
And I look forward to getting feedback on this discussion draft 
today, and hope that all members of the subcommittee will join 
us in cosponsoring it once it is introduced.
    I would like to start with the CLEEN program component of 
the bill, because, you all, I am deeply invested, because I 
live really close to the world's busiest and most efficient 
airport down in Georgia's Fifth Congressional District in 
Atlanta. I live so close to the airport that I can hear the 
planes fly over every 60 seconds, you all. And I hear from 
constituents in the same position that I am in all the time: We 
have to reduce noise pollution for our people to thrive.
    Mr. Bunce, what would a substantial investment in the CLEEN 
program mean for my constituents who are lying awake at night 
or are awakened very early in the morning by planes flying 
overhead, and how would this improve their daily lives?
    Mr. Bunce. Well, thank you, Representative. We have been 
working on technology to be able to make aircraft quieter for 
many, many decades. And really, the proof is in the pudding. If 
you look at how quiet aircraft are in this day and age versus 
even 20 years ago, the improvement has been fantastic.
    NextGen has helped a lot in ways to be able to have, 
instead of this dive and drive type of approach, we have been 
able to do continuous descent type of approaches. And your 
help, along with the FAA's, in being able to push NextGen 
forward has helped us with this.
    Now, as we find more precise approaches, we fly over the 
same spot on the ground all the time versus more diffused 
flightpaths that we had previously. And of course, we know when 
people see an aircraft they hear it, even though it could be 
quieter. Some of the new technology that we have out there, 
electrical augmentation, but also some of these new vehicles 
out there are extremely quiet. And if you watched the recent 
``60 Minutes'' special, they just could not even believe how 
quiet some of this technology was. So, we keep working on the 
cells, and the efficiency of these aircraft will help with 
noise.
    Also, if you look at mobility in the future--and we are 
able to use some of the reliever airports--we have an 
infrastructure that no other nation on the planet has. We have 
over 5,000 public use airports, over 13,000 airports out there. 
As we start to diffuse some of that traffic out to tertiary 
airports to allow people to use those with advanced air 
mobility machines and that, we will be able to reduce some of 
the congestion that we see at some of our major hubs. And I 
think that will help a lot, as well.
    Ms. Williams of Georgia. Thank you. And now, turning to the 
AERO Act's investments in sustainable aviation fuel, could you 
elaborate on how much investments help us achieve a transition 
to 100 percent clean energy, while also providing for growth in 
the aviation industry, Mr. Bunce?
    Mr. Bunce. Well, part of that AERO Act that you mentioned 
that we are very excited about is that 30 percent of that also 
goes towards advancing technology. So, as we look, there are 
things that you can do. As we talked previously about hydrogen, 
the electrification, we are learning more and more from our 
engine companies about how we can go and generate more 
electricity.
    You use a lot of energy when you ascent an aircraft. You 
have just got to have more. It is just like a rocket. You have 
got to have a lot of thrust to get up there. But once you are 
getting up to stable flight, you don't need as much energy. So, 
if you are able to augment that with electric generation and 
other technologies that we have on the horizon, it actually 
reduces the amount of fuel burn. You add that to the lighter 
weights that we are making all of our aircraft out there, and 
you really can see some significant improvements.
    So, if you look at the [inaudible] charts that represent 
both on commercial and business aviation aircraft as we go past 
2030 and beyond, that technology piece starts to blossom out 
there because we see some of these technologies really starting 
to mature and, of course, we have to have SAF blossom as well 
to be able to make our net-zero goals by 2050.
    Ms. Williams of Georgia. Thank you so much.
    And Mr. Horton, as someone who also is a representative of 
a large airport like myself, you know that achieving 
environmental sustainability takes time, effort, and 
investment, and intentionality. So, what extent does robust 
public investment in things like sustainable aviation fuel 
infrastructure accelerate the timetable for a large airport to 
decarbonize?
    Mr. Horton. Thank you for the question, Congresswoman. The 
investments in sustainable aviation fuel are critical to enable 
airlines to decarbonize.
    We all know about CORSIA and the need to invest in 
offsetting international emissions. However, at the airports 
there are a lot of opportunities that exist. For example, we 
know that we generate a lot of waste, and some of that waste 
can be converted into sustainable aviation fuel. We are hoping 
to see the challenges that were put up by the administration 
help to bring the economics within range. The two to six times 
the cost of conventional jet fuel is going to be an inhibition 
to airlines from adopting and transitioning to sustainable 
fuels.
    So, we hope to be part of the solution. We want to 
complement the efforts. We want to make sure that the enabling 
infrastructure works. I know that we have tested a lot of the 
partnerships and tested the strategies. We know it is a drop-in 
solution, it is easy to action on. All we need to do is work on 
bringing the development and the processing closer to the area 
that is being used, and leverage the resources within the 
region.
    So, we hope to see more progress made here in the next few 
years.
    Ms. Williams of Georgia. Thank you.
    And Mr. Chairman, I have no time to yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you very much, 
Representative Williams. We will now go to Representative Steel 
of California for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Steel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I believe the Federal Government has an important role to 
play in cutting redtape where new, safe technology can be 
approved, yet avoid the pitfalls of using taxpayer dollars to 
pick winners and losers.
    I am happy to be a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus and to 
work here in Congress to help reduce noise and pollution from 
air travel. I believe the best way to do this is to create a 
fair playing field where innovation can flourish, and airlines, 
manufacturers, and travelers can make the best choices for 
their businesses and, most importantly, for the health and 
well-being of their passengers and the communities in which 
they operate.
    Ms. Ardizzone and Mr. Bunce, in your testimonies, you 
mentioned the CLEEN--C-L-E-E-N, Continuous Lower Energy, 
Emissions, and Noise--program to help speed up the adoption of 
technologies that will reduce aviation noise and emissions. Can 
you discuss some of the progress being made toward adopting 
these technologies?
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Representative Steel, could you 
clarify who you are asking, please? Thank you.
    Mrs. Steel. Mr. Bunce and--actually, both of them--Ms. 
Ardizzone.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Oh, OK, Mr. Bunce, OK.
    Mr. Bunce. As we look toward these technologies--and I 
think that, Representative Steel, you've got it exactly right--
reducing redtape and allowing manufacturers to compete on a 
level playing field becomes extremely important. It doesn't 
take a whole lot of Government investment just to make 
processes smooth. And we are very concerned with all of the 
changes at the FAA and personnel, but also all the new people 
that have come on board.
    There needs to be more training out there to allow us to 
get through the process. Right now two of our aircraft 
certification offices have gone and told the manufacturers that 
go in their specific regions that to get an answer back is 
going to be moved from 30 days to 90 days. Industry just can't 
work like that.
    So, if you put forward something like to get a project 
approval or a test plan approved, to have a 90-day turnaround 
is just unacceptable. One of our companies wanted to switch 
from one LED landing light to another landing light. They put a 
submission in--and this was an Oregon company--in September. 
They didn't hear back until April. And they are almost out of 
the old lights, because they can't get it through supply chain.
    So, again, those types of things to allow technology to go 
forward has to come with efficient processes for certification 
by the regulatory authorities, and then validation and using 
the bilateral safety agreements we have with other states of 
design, like Europe and Canada and Brazil, to be able to 
leverage the safety competencies of the other regulatory 
bodies.
    Mrs. Steel. Mr. Bunce, so, is there any progress being 
made, or is it just not really progressing? It is kind of slow, 
or instead of 30 days, it takes 90 days. How can we adopt these 
technologies, and it just takes forever, how are we going to 
progress after that?
    [No response.]
    Mrs. Steel. Mr. Bunce, you are muted.
    Mr. Bunce. Sorry. We are throwing more activity at the FAA 
with the addition, obviously, of advanced air mobility.
    But also, just as technology is advancing we have to have 
specialists, and we are competing, obviously, with the FAA in 
hiring specialists. Most of our factories are down about 20 
percent in engineers and 20 percent in technicians out there. 
So, we have got to be smarter. Like to appeal to young people, 
it was very good to see the report come out for women in 
aviation recently. That gave us some tools to be able to 
recruit more women into our workforce.
    But we--it is getting worse. It isn't getting any better. 
And whether it is between authorities on either side of the 
Atlantic, or whether it is just in the FAA right now, things 
are bogging down, slowing down. As I talked about that funnel, 
we cannot do things without policy and guidance and 
regulations. There are other industries that can. We are not 
allowed to. And so, if everything has to go through this 
funnel, and everything has to have legal review, it all bogs 
down.
    And I can give you a list of over 200 policy and guidance 
areas that the FAA isn't able to issue right now, and some of 
those are very important standards for us to be able to employ 
this technology. So, it is very concerning.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. We will have to move on.
    Mrs. Steel. Thank you so much, Mr. Bunce.
    I yield back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you very much.
    I recognize Congresswoman Holmes Norton for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Norton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate this 
hearing on climate change and airports. Climate change is maybe 
the most important issue of our times. My first question is for 
Mr. Hoback.
    I have been leading the charge here in the House to combat 
climate change in surface transportation, that sector.
    I notice that you said that you view natural gas as a 
transitional step to move the industry incrementally. What do 
you see as the next step after natural gas?
    I am concerned about how long the airport industry should 
rely on natural gas, given it is not a renewable resource.
    Mr. Hoback. Yes. So, thank you so much for the question, 
Representative Norton.
    We are certainly looking long term at this problem. We are 
looking at all of those renewable resources. That is why we 
have invested significantly in our solar farm that we have on 
the property. And we are prepared to actually double that in 
size in the next year to continuously work towards additional 
renewable resources.
    But we also know that it is going to take them some time to 
have that transition. So, we are utilizing some of the 
resources that we have available to us today to significantly 
reduce our impact today, like with our microgrid, like with the 
reductions that we have had in the carbon footprint based on 
producing all of our own electricity right on the property.
    So, we think that it is very important to look at both the 
long-term and the immediate impacts that we can have on this 
problem that we are all facing right now.
    Ms. Norton. I appreciate that.
    Mr. Bunce, I am one of the chairs of the Quiet Skies 
Caucus, so, I want to thank you for bringing up aircraft noise 
in your testimony. It impacts the lives, of course, of our 
constituents daily, affecting their sleep and their health.
    Since the primary focus of our hearing today is addressing 
climate impacts, do any of the current emission reduction 
innovations in the aviation industry also reduce aviation 
noise?
    Mr. Bunce. Representative Holmes Norton, yes, I think they 
do.
    As we are able to go ahead and do what is called additive 
manufacturing--the term that most of us are familiar with is, 
basically, 3D printing. But you can do it with metal now. And 
as you start to do that, and you put the layers on, you can 
come up with designs that we couldn't even think about before, 
because we had to put pieces and parts together. So, we not 
only make it lighter, but it is also able to change total flow 
control that you can have in an engine and in a cell.
    So, as we go in and promulgate these new types of 
technology in the aircraft, we are able to make them quieter. 
And as we get more of these new production aircraft and retire 
older systems, obviously we are able to go--the older hardware 
is louder, and the newer ones, coupled with these new 
procedures that we have, really do help. If we are able to go 
and do these continuous descent type of approaches that we have 
been working very closely with the FAA on promulgating, it 
really does help to drive noise down.
    And of course, when you do configure the aircraft, and you 
put out flaps, and you put out gear and that, you do change the 
noise profile, as well. So, you can do some things with 
aircraft structures to be able to reduce that noise when what 
we call getting dirty, putting all these extra drag devices and 
slowing down the land happen. So, there is progress being made 
there, as well.
    Ms. Norton. Well, thank you very much.
    I do have a question for Ms. Ardizzone, because in your 
testimony, you mentioned that Alaska Airlines is the first 
domestic airline to utilize a new software system to determine 
the safest and most efficient flight plans. What is the 
scalability of that software?
    Could it be utilized by all major domestic airlines to 
increase efficiency of flight plans?
    Ms. Ardizzone. Yes, it can. We are very excited to have 
partnered with the company that developed it over the last 
year. We have it in place today. It is working extremely well. 
It really optimizes the flightpath. So, it provides the most 
efficient--so, it reduces the amount of emissions. It is also 
extremely safe. I know other airlines are looking at it now. I 
think another is soon to launch it.
    But much like our viewpoint is on all safety-related items, 
we would like to see the industry adopt it.
    Ms. Norton. Thank you. My time is expired.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. We will now turn to 
Representative Johnson of Georgia for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you. I want to thank you, Mr. 
Chairman, for holding this hearing. And I want to thank the 
witnesses for their testimony.
    Over the next few decades, climate change will affect every 
part of American life: our health, our economy, and even our 
geography. We must all work to avoid the steep human and 
economic costs of a worsening climate crisis, and to guide the 
transition to a low-carbon economy.
    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides an 
opportunity for airports to make just such a transition, as 
well as to mitigate some impacts of climate change. New 
Government initiatives will help to ensure some of the most 
harmful aviation pollutants are removed from aviation fuel.
    And while the aviation industry has made substantial 
progress in reducing emissions in the past, much more needs to 
be done.
    Over 25 years ago, lead was banned from all gasoline due to 
the severe health consequences of lead exposure, especially to 
young children. But despite the known dangers of lead 
pollution, lead continues to be used in aviation fuel for 
piston engine aircraft. This is now our country's primary 
source of lead emissions.
    Mr. Bunce, in your testimony you spoke of the joint 
Government and industry Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead 
Emissions, or EAGLE, initiative, which will remove lead from 
piston engine aircraft fuel by 2030. The EAGLE initiative is 
long overdue. And the delay begs the question, given that lead 
is so toxic, why has it taken so long for aviation 
manufacturers to remove the need for leaded gasoline?
    Mr. Bunce. Representative Johnson, excellent question. If 
you look back at the history of lead in an aircraft engine, if 
you go back to World War II, it actually helped us win World 
War II. We had a secret formulation that allowed the boost of 
the octane up to 100 octane.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. No doubt it has worked well in the 
past for us. But, I mean, this is now 2022.
    Mr. Bunce. Right.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. It is almost 80 years since World 
War II. Why has it taken so long to remove lead from piston 
aircraft fuel?
    Mr. Bunce. So, a piston engine is much smaller and lighter. 
Remember that we can't have the weight that we have in the 
automotive sector. If you don't put a couple drops of lead per 
gallon in there, you have what is called detonation: an 
airplane basically--and the cylinder head--explodes.
    So, we have been working since 2012 on what is called the 
PAFI initiative, Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative, to find an 
alternative fuel. It has been very elusive, and some of the 
fuels that we have come forward with have bogged down due to 
some of their chemical content as we have gone into some major 
robust testing.
    So, now what we have done is we have partnered with the 
Federal Aviation Administration on what you mentioned, the 
EAGLE initiative, and we put a stake in the ground and said if 
we can't find the 100 percent drop-in solution like we have 
with SAF for jet fuel, we are going to have to just regulate 
the lead away, and do that in a very methodical process because 
there is a safety component.
    We have got to remember that there are 170,000 piston 
aircraft out there, and they are the first responders when we 
have a national disaster----
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia [interrupting]. Well, thank you. My 
time is going by.
    Are you and the general aviation manufacturers committed to 
ensuring that the EAGLE initiative succeeds? Let me ask that 
question.
    Mr. Bunce. Absolutely, sir. We----
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia [interrupting]. And let me ask you 
what actions by Congress would you recommend to ensure success 
of the EAGLE initiative?
    Mr. Bunce. The funding of the program, to be able to go 
ahead and allow us to do adequate testing to buy--there are 
five different formulations that are out there by different 
companies. We want them all to compete. We want them to be 
successful. But we have got to test a lot of these fuels, 
whether it is over at the FAA tech center or by an independent 
testing cell.
    So, support for those programs in the initiative each year 
through appropriations with your colleagues there would help us 
a lot.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. OK. Well, I thank you so much.
    I only have 15 seconds left, so, I will yield that back.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Representative 
Johnson. We are going to go with Representative Titus of 
Nevada.
    You are recognized for 5 minutes.
    [Pause.]
    Ms. Titus. I wasn't expecting to be next, but thank you 
very much, Mr. Chairman. I was going to ask Mr. Bunce a couple 
of questions about AAM, advanced air mobility.
    Next year, we are going to be facing reauthorization of the 
FAA. And by then I think we will have an increased focus on 
AAM, and also on unmanned systems.
    Now, we have said in this committee and today and on other 
days how hidebound the FAA is, and how hard it is to get them 
to change things. You mentioned electric vertical takeoff and 
landing, and you admonished us to provide flexibility in this 
sector, especially when including both aircraft and airport 
structures. So, I wonder if you would keep in mind our FAA 
reauthorization, and could offer us any advice or suggestions, 
either for Congress or the administration, that could help 
promote continued innovation in these areas.
    Mr. Bunce. Representative Titus, just some of the work that 
you have done on advanced aviation infrastructure modernization 
will help us there.
    I mean, we do have to think about battery storage. How do 
we store that energy at airports to be able to do these rapid 
recharges for these types of machines, but also for the ground 
electric vehicles that are out there?
    So, thinking about that, of what you are already doing with 
some of the acts that this committee has been very, in a 
bipartisan nature, supporting us have been really helpful.
    And I think, as we go toward reauthorization, that we look 
at the whole sustainability picture in total, and also see what 
the FAA is going to bring forward with their proposal for 
reauthorization, because we have a great partnership with the 
environmental side of the FAA, and we are working on those 
ideas right now. We are very hopeful that the Department of 
Transportation will allow the FAA to come forward with a 
proposal that will have a lot of these rock solid initiatives 
in it that I think that you will support very well during 
reauthorization.
    Ms. Titus. Well, thank you. And I was pleased to work with 
our chairman, Mr. Larsen, and also Mr. Graves on that Advanced 
Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act that passed out of 
our committee.
    But, it is kind of a two-way street. We can get the 
industry perhaps to be regulated by FAA and the things that 
they need to do to be successful. What about grant programs to 
local communities?
    What can they do on the ground, through the State or local 
governments or airport authorities, that will also help 
complement our efforts?
    Mr. Bunce. There are a lot of initiatives of just looking 
at planning of the power grid.
    We all know how difficult it is, especially in a city 
structure, to dig up concrete or asphalt to be able to put in 
the right type of electrical infrastructure out there. But the 
other things that we do need to think about is how to monetize 
electricity.
    So, think about it. In today's world, a lot of airports, 
they make money out of selling fuel. They add a margin on top 
of that to sell it. We have got to think ahead of how they are 
going to sell electric, and will that--right now, if you put 
solar in some of our airports out there--and each district with 
their own utility sector regulates a little differently. But a 
lot of times the utility company gets the credit for being able 
to sell that back. We would love to be able to see the airports 
be able to take the power that they generate, whether it is 
through solar or the co-generation that we have talked about 
previously, and be able to monetize that, and sell it as a 
profit center.
    And I think that would really help our infrastructure 
within the country, and then help us utilize this, as I 
mentioned, something that no other nation on the planet has, 
this great network of airports.
    Ms. Titus. That is great, because in some of these other 
fields, we have fallen behind the rest of the world because it 
has taken us so long to develop the timely regulation. You 
don't want to give up safety, but you don't want to also be so 
regulated you can't do anything.
    I know airports have a lot of flat roofs around the country 
that you could take advantage of, and maybe set up some kind of 
net metering program, or something with the local utilities.
    Mr. Bunce. Yes, ma'am.
    Ms. Titus. Well, thank you.
    And I will yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Representative Titus. 
I have some further questions for the witnesses. I want to 
start with Mr. Miftakhov regarding infrastructure at airports 
to support hydrogen fuel.
    What is your thinking with regards to hydrogen fuel 
infrastructure and support at airports?
    Mr. Miftakhov. Thank you, Chairman Larsen. This is a very 
important issue, of course.
    This is the first question that our airline partners ask 
when we go to them with our solutions. And our answer to that 
is that the concentration of demand for hydrogen at the airport 
is so strong that it warrants onsite production.
    So, we are hoping to bring infrastructure together with our 
partners like Shell aviation fuels and Shell sustainable fuels, 
who is also an investor in the company, we are hoping to bring 
that onsite infrastructure to all the airports, and we are 
already working with a number of airports on this.
    When we use renewable electricity----
    [Audio malfunction.]
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. All right, Mr. Miftakhov, you 
froze. And so, we will just come back to you. Just hold that 
thought.
    Where was I? Oh, yes, Ms. Ardizzone, could you discuss your 
relationship with Microsoft, the MOU you have with Microsoft, 
and how that plays into the topic today?
    Ms. Ardizzone. Yes, we are super fortunate to have 
Microsoft in our backyard, based in Seattle, and they have a 
very strong interest in being able to provide travel for their 
employees that is carbon-neutral. So, I would say they are one 
of the leaders out there, and we have been working with them 
for, gosh, 1 or 2 years now, to try to get SAF availability. 
And in particular, they are very interested in high-quality 
SAF.
    So, much of our discussions with SkyNRG and others have 
involved Microsoft.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. To what extent? Is it just 
because they provide a concentration of folks who can fly? What 
is--how has it----
    Ms. Ardizzone [interrupting]. Yes, so, Microsoft does a 
tremendous amount of business travel, worldwide, actually, but 
certainly out of the Pacific Northwest.
    Gosh, I lost my thought on that.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. In terms of their role that they 
play in the emissions control, or anything like that.
    Ms. Ardizzone. Yes. Well, there is a lot of interest in 
just having corporations help contribute to the cost of SAF, 
particularly in the near term until we can get the market more 
viable. So, it is extremely expensive, as I mentioned, two to 
six times more than the cost of conventional jet fuel.
    So, you might look at Microsoft and say they have higher 
margins, certainly higher than the airline world does. And they 
are in a position to really take a leadership role in making 
commitments to travel using SAF.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. I see, I see.
    I think we are just trying to get Mr. Miftakhov back.
    Mr. Miftakhov. Yes, I am here.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. There we go, great. So, I forget 
exactly where you were when you froze, but if you can just pick 
up where you were.
    Mr. Miftakhov. Exactly. So, on the infrastructure side, 
this is very important. We are working with a number of 
airports on this already, and we are expecting that the future 
infrastructure on hydrogen is actually under a lot of airports' 
control and will involve a lot of renewable power coming in, 
possibly with--on the airport generation, like we have heard 
from Pittsburgh, and generation of hydrogen onsite at the 
airport so that we avoid transportation. And that can give 
airports a lot of control, economic control over fuel supply.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Let me ask perhaps a challenging 
question. This for Mr. Horton or Mr. Hoback.
    We have got the infrastructure to support aviation fuel. 
Now we are talking about the infrastructure to support SAF. We 
are talking about the infrastructure to support electric, and 
now hydrogen. How is the choice going to be adjudicated?
    How would the money be adjudicated? How would we decide, 
like, this airport is going to put X in for electricity, but 
then later discovers maybe they want to do hydrogen instead. 
So, Mr. Horton, have you thought through some of those 
challenges, and Mr. Hoback?
    [Pause.]
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Mr. Horton first, please.
    Mr. Horton. Oh, yes, sorry. Chairman Larsen, thank you for 
the question.
    A lot of that is driven by the type of operations that we 
have. And we have to look at the availability of what resources 
are within our region. So far, most of the demand we have seen 
is for electric, the eVTOL aircraft, and we are preparing for 
that future.
    But again, as you can imagine, there is a tremendous stress 
that that demand places on the grid. So, we are conscious about 
the unintended consequences of adding new entrants into the 
space. And so, we are hoping to plan judiciously.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Mr. Hoback, how are you thinking 
about that?
    Mr. Hoback. Yes, thank you so much for the question, 
Chairman Larsen.
    We are thinking about the infrastructure preparation in the 
form of, what are the airlines really ready to--and what are 
our airline partners really ready for. That's who we work 
closely with, our airline partners here at Pittsburgh to make 
sure that we are providing them the infrastructure of the 
future that they really need. So, that is what we are thinking 
about in Pittsburgh.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Just a moment.
    [Discussion off the record.]
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. I think, for me, that is good. 
And we have no other Members?
    OK, all right. So, I want to thank the witnesses for your 
patience today. I am in a second booster fog, so, I appreciate 
everyone's patience with me today, as well. I am trying to work 
through the second booster.
    But this has been enlightening. It has been helpful to us 
on the committee, as we prepare for next year's FAA 2023 
reauthorization, helping us think through the kinds of actions 
and language we will need in the bill to support this work.
    So, I want to thank our witnesses for their testimony. The 
comments and insights have been informative and very helpful.
    I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing 
remain open until such time as our witnesses have provided 
answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in 
writing.
    I also ask unanimous consent the record remain open for 15 
days for any additional comments and information submitted by 
Members or by the witnesses to be included in the record of 
today's hearing.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    With that, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 4:13 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

                       Submissions for the Record

                              ----------                              

  Prepared Statement of Hon. Sam Graves, a Representative in Congress 
     from the State of Missouri, and Ranking Member, Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure
    Thank you, Chair Larsen and Ranking Member Graves, and thank you to 
today's witnesses.
    Ensuring that airports and the aviation community work together 
with nearby communities and the general public is critical to the 
growth of the aviation industry.
    Over the years this Committee has given the FAA a number of tools 
to help set performance goals and mitigate the impacts of emissions, 
which is the focus of our hearing today.
    Keep in mind, today's aircraft are more efficient than ever.
    That is why we have seen air carrier fuel consumption decrease by 
39 percent from 2005 to 2019.
    It is important to remember that the FAA's primary responsibility 
is as the aviation safety regulator and provider of safe and efficient 
air traffic services.
    Not only do we have to keep the FAA focused on these missions, but 
we also have to ensure that concerns about emissions are not used as a 
weapon to curtail aviation growth or shut down airports.
    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about how we can 
work to mitigate the effects of aviation emissions without compromising 
American leadership in aviation safety, operations, and technology.
    Thanks again, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.

                                 
     Discussion Draft, Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity Act
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                 
     Statement of Airlines for America and Letter to Congressional 
                               Leadership
    Airlines for America (A4A) appreciates the opportunity to provide 
written testimony regarding efforts to address climate change at U.S. 
airports.
    U.S. airlines have a strong climate change record and a continuing 
commitment to further reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 
footprint. Prior to the pandemic, we were transporting a record 2.5 
million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo per day, driving $1.7 
trillion in annual economic activity and supporting 10 million jobs, 
while contributing just 2 percent of our nation's GHG emissions 
inventory.
    Our airlines have been able to deliver such value to the economy 
while maintaining a low carbon footprint primarily due to their keen 
focus on fuel efficiency, which translates directly into GHG emissions 
savings. Over the past several decades, U.S. airlines have dramatically 
improved fuel efficiency and reduced GHG emissions by working with 
other stakeholders and investing billions in fuel-saving aircraft and 
engines, innovative technologies like winglets (which improve 
aerodynamics) and cutting-edge route-optimization software. As a 
result, U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency over 135 percent 
from 1978-2019, saving over 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide 
(CO2), which is equivalent to taking more than 27 million 
cars off the road on average in each of those years. Taking a more 
recent snapshot, data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics 
confirm that U.S. airlines improved their fuel- and CO2-
emissions efficiency by 40 percent between 2000 and 2019.
    We are proud of our record on climate change. As leaders of a 
global aviation coalition, we have been committed to aggressive 
emissions goals for many years. In March 2021, A4A and our carriers 
announced a significant strengthening of our goals: we pledged to work 
across the aviation industry and with government leaders in a positive 
partnership to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A4A carriers 
also pledged to work with the government and other stakeholders toward 
a rapid expansion of the production and deployment of commercially 
viable Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to make 2 billion gallons 
available to U.S. aircraft operators in 2030. On September 9, 2021, as 
a complement to the federal government's announcement of a SAF ``Grand 
Challenge,'' A4A and its members increased the A4A SAF ``challenge 
goal'' by an additional 50 percent, calling for 3 billion gallons of 
cost-competitive SAF to be available for use in 2030. These new goals 
were adopted in the midst of the most severe economic crisis the 
commercial aviation sector has ever faced, demonstrating the strength 
of the airline industry's commitment to the environment and the depth 
of our recognition that environmentally responsible growth is essential 
to the vitality of our sector. We also recognize that federal, state 
and local governments hold many of the keys to unlocking the innovation 
and deployment enablers necessary to achieve additional GHG emissions 
reductions. Accordingly, A4A and our member airlines commit to working 
with government leaders and other stakeholders in a positive 
partnership to achieve these goals.
    A4A also supports broader stakeholder efforts, including those with 
our airport partners. In particular, A4A continues to support expanding 
electric infrastructure at airports and greener ground support 
equipment.
    Electrification is a well-understood and proven means of lowering 
emissions for many types of airport ground support equipment (GSE) and 
from aircraft while parked at gates that supply electric power. 
Providing electric power at gates and deployment of electric GSE (eGSE) 
requires access to reliable electric infrastructure (e.g., electric 
substations, transformers, charging stations, electrified gates and 
hard stands) and, in some cases, other infrastructure improvements 
needed to ensure deployment of eGSE is operationally feasible. In 
addition, commercially viable and operationally feasible eGSE and other 
low/no-carbon GSE are not widely available in certain applications 
(e.g., large cargo-loaders or push-back tractors for large, twin aisle 
aircraft). Government funding to support the acquisition of such GSE 
and enabling airport infrastructure would help accelerate its 
deployment. Funding to support commercialization of eGSE and other low/
no-carbon GSE in more demanding applications would also be helpful.
    One proven program of great importance is the Federal Aviation 
Administration's (FAA) Voluntary Air Low Emissions (VALE) program. The 
VALE program allows airport sponsors to take proactive steps to improve 
air quality and reduce emissions in non-attainment and maintenance 
areas according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). 
Eligible projects under the VALE program include electric ground 
support equipment like bag tugs and belt loaders; natural gas refueling 
stations; electric gates at terminals; and electric preconditioned air 
and ground power converter units.
    As Congress considers policies to lower carbon-emitting GSE and 
other necessary airport infrastructure, A4A recommends the following:
      Establish a Department of Transportation (DOT)/FAA grant 
program to provide funding to airlines to acquire low-carbon GSE and 
install infrastructure that displaces traditional GSE;
      Revise the existing FAA VALE program by striking the 
statutory requirement that only airports in non-attainment and 
maintenance areas would be eligible to use VALE funds for cleaner GSE, 
vehicles and fuel and reduce restrictions on airline access to VALE 
funds;
      Amend the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program 
to include airline non-cargo handling GSE or expand it to include, in 
addition to the national and state programs, a new airport GSE-specific 
program; and
      Provide dedicated funding to DOE's Vehicle Technologies 
Office's Clean Cities program for airline acquisition of electric or 
other alternative fuel GSE and associated infrastructure.

    The U.S. aviation industry has taken a leadership role in on-
airport sustainability measures, which as noted, A4A strongly supports. 
However, we would be remiss not to mention the importance of 
development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the 
most effective tool we have in addressing the overall aviation sector 
emission reductions.
    Attached is a letter sent to Congressional leadership last month by 
a broad coalition of aviation industry stakeholders--including 
passenger and cargo carriers, clean fuel producers, engine and aircraft 
manufacturers, labor unions, airports, business and general aviation, 
airline passengers, trade associations and think tanks--who are 
committed to decarbonizing aviation through a new, long-term, 
technology and feedstock-neutral tax incentive for SAF. We believe the 
most important action Congress can take to support the decarbonization 
of the aviation sector is to enact a blender's tax credit specifically 
aimed at incentivizing the production and use of SAF and appreciate the 
Committee's consideration of this topic as a component of the overall 
hearing.
             Attachment: Letter to Congressional Leadership
                                                    April 22, 2022.
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House,
U.S. House of Representatives, 1236 Longworth House Office Building, 
        Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Charles Schumer,
Senate Majority Leader,
U.S. Senate, 322 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510.
The Honorable Richard Neal,
Chairman,
House Committee on Ways & Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 
        Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Ron Wyden,
Chairman,
Senate Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, 219 Dirksen Senate Office 
        Building, Washington, DC 20510.
    Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Chairman Neal, and 
Chairman Wyden:
    As a broad coalition of aviation industry stakeholders--including 
passenger and cargo carriers, clean fuel producers, engine and aircraft 
manufacturers, labor unions, airports, business and general aviation, 
airline passengers, trade associations, and think tanks--committed to 
decarbonizing aviation, we write to express our strong support for a 
new, long-term, technology- and feedstock-neutral tax incentive for 
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We believe the most important action 
Congress can take to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector 
is to enact a blender's tax credit specifically aimed at incentivizing 
the production and use of SAF.
    SAF is a low-carbon, drop-in replacement for conventional jet fuel 
derived from biomass or other sustainable feedstocks, including wastes 
and residues, cellulosic feedstocks, waste gases, and captured 
CO2. SAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 
by 80 percent or more compared to fossil jet fuel, while also 
significantly reducing conventional emissions like particulate matter 
and improving air quality and public health.
    SAF is widely considered to be the most critical driver of aviation 
decarbonization, as electrification and other advanced propulsion 
technologies are currently infeasible for the medium- and long-haul 
flights that account for the vast majority of aviation's GHG emissions. 
With aviation's reliance on liquid fuels continuing for the coming 
decades, the Administration's Aviation Climate Action Plan and SAF 
Grand Challenge appropriately recognize the need to rapidly scale the 
SAF industry this decade. Doing so will enable the Administration's 
goal of 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030 and 100% SAF by 2050, 
representing an estimated 35 billion gallons.\1\ As outlined in the 
Grand Challenge, a SAF tax credit is the foundation of the 
Administration's whole-of-government approach to building a domestic 
SAF industry and leading the energy transition for the global aviation 
industry. Indeed, last week President Biden stressed the importance of 
SAF and reiterated his support for a SAF tax credit to enable a zero-
carbon aviation sector in 2050.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2021-11/
Aviation_Climate_Action_Plan.pdf;
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/
09/09/fact-sheet-biden-administration-advances-the-future-of-
sustainable-fuels-in-american-aviation/
    \2\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/
04/12/remarks-by-president-biden-on-lowering-energy-costs-for-working-
families/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Our organizations share the Administration's goal of rapidly 
scaling the SAF industry to enable aviation decarbonization. The SAF-
specific blender's tax credit of $1.50 to $2.00 per gallon that was 
introduced in the Sustainable Skies Act (H.R. 3440/S. 2263) would 
promote and accelerate investment in the nascent domestic SAF industry 
while upholding rigorous environmental standards and ensuring that 
fuels that achieve the greatest reduction in emissions are eligible for 
the greatest tax incentive.
    We believe Congress should address several principles as it 
considers a SAF tax credit. First, the value of the credit should be 
sufficiently robust to both eliminate significant existing SAF 
production disincentives as well as encourage rapid investment in the 
sector. Second, so as not to unintentionally create new disincentives 
for SAF, the same lifecycle GHG emissions models should be used for all 
fuels to determine environmental benefits. Finally, Congress should 
apply equivalent environmental criteria, including minimum lifecycle 
GHG emissions thresholds, to all transportation fuels.
    SAF is of critical importance to the aviation sector, and the SAF 
blender's tax credit is an important foundational policy to establish a 
new domestic SAF industry and create tens of thousands of jobs. It is 
imperative that we act today to ensure that our energy sources are 
cleaner, more sustainable, and more secure. Our organizations stand 
ready to work with Congress to ensure we meet our shared goal of a net-
zero aviation industry by 2050. Thank you for your leadership and 
consideration.
        Sincerely,
Aerospace Industries Association.
Airbus.
Air Company.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Airline Passenger Experience Association.
Air Line Pilots Association.
Airlines for America.
Airports Council International- North America.
Air Transport Services Group.
Alaska Airlines.
Alder Fuels.
Algae Biomass Organization.
American Airlines.
American Association of Airport Executives.
American Express Global Business Travel.
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
Atlas Air Worldwide.
Avfuel.
Biotechnology Innovation Organization.
The Boeing Company.
Bombardier.
Boom.
Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Carbon Engineering.
Cargo Airline Association.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Delta.
DHL.
Embraer.
FedEx Express.
Fulcrum BioEnergy.
GE Aviation.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Gevo.
Global Business Travel Association.
Green Plains.
Growth Energy.
Gulfstream.
Hawaiian Airlines.
Helicopter Association International.
Honeywell.
Infinium.
International Air Transport Association.
International Flight Services Association.
JetBlue.
LanzaJet.
LanzaTech.
Marquis Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
National Air Carrier Association.
National Air Transportation Association.
National Association of State Aviation Officials.
National Business Aviation Association.
Neste.
NetJets.
NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots.
Port of Portland.
Port of Seattle/Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Pratt & Whitney.
Red Rock Biofuels.
Regional Airline Association.
Renewable Fuels Association.
Rolls Royce.
San Francisco International Airport.
Shell Aviation.
Signature Aviation.
SkyNRG Americas.
Southwest Airlines.
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.
Third Way.
Travelers United.
United Airlines.
United Parcel Service.
U.S. Travel Association.
Velocys.
VeriJet.
World Energy.
World Fuel Services.

                                 
Statement of Ed Bolen, President and Chief Executive Officer, National 
                     Business Aviation Association
    Chairman Larsen, Ranking Member Graves, and members of the 
Subcommittee on Aviation thank you for holding this hearing to address 
and build upon the impressive sustainability efforts underway at our 
nation's airports. On behalf of the National Business Aviation 
Association's (NBAA's) 11,000-member companies, we are pleased to 
provide this statement for the record.
    NBAA's members, many of which are small businesses, rely on 
business aircraft to meet some portion of their transportation 
challenges. Business aircraft provide connectivity to communities in 
nearly every Congressional district, many of which are not served by 
commercial airlines. While the airlines serve only around 500 airports, 
business aviation can reach 5,000. The general aviation industry 
supports 1.2 million American jobs and $247 billion in economic output.
    Through the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change, our 
industry has pledged to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 
2050. This goal builds on our proven track record of leading the way on 
fuel-saving technologies from winglets to highly efficient engine 
technology and advanced avionics. To achieve our 2050 goal, business 
aviation is making significant investments in zero-emission electric 
aviation, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), optimizing GPS technology to 
fly the most direct and efficient routes and utilizing sustainable 
infrastructure at airports. These initiatives will lead to a 
sustainable future for business aviation while maintaining the jobs our 
industry provides to American workers.
    Through programs such as NBAA's Sustainable Flight Department 
Accreditation Program, which has a specific focus on infrastructure and 
ground support equipment, business aviation is taking measurable steps 
to address climate change at U.S. airports. This comprehensive 
accreditation program will stimulate, document, and audit how operators 
are making widespread investments and progress towards a carbon-neutral 
future. For airport operations, participants will work towards 
measurable reductions in CO2 emissions through the 
modernization of hangars and other facilities, concentrating on reduced 
electric and water consumption. In addition, the program focuses on 
ground vehicles that support business aviation, such as aircraft tugs. 
To achieve the CO2 reduction goals through the 
accreditation, operators will make investments in electric-powered 
ground support vehicles or utilize more sustainable fuel sources.
               Expanding SAF Availability and Utilization
    As a drop-in fuel, SAF is a low carbon synthetic jet fuel derived 
from sustainable feedstocks, which is available now but not at the 
levels to meet demand. With SAF able to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas 
emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, significantly 
scaling up production is critical to achieving emissions reduction 
goals under programs like NBAA's Sustainable Flight Department 
Accreditation.
    NBAA and our coalition partners in the Business Aviation Coalition 
for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, continue to educate the airport and 
operator community about the benefits of SAF, which has led to broad 
acceptance and demand for the fuel. For example, NetJets, one of the 
largest operators of business aircraft, has committed to purchasing 100 
million gallons of SAF over the next ten years. Signature Flight 
Support, the world's largest chain of Fixed Based Operators, has SAF 
available at a growing list of general aviation airports and has 
supplied more than 6 million gallons of renewable fuel since 2020.
    While these are impressive accomplishments, the SAF market is still 
in a nascent stage and requires a long-term, technology- and feedstock-
neutral tax incentive to meet growing demand. We appreciate the 
Subcommittee's leadership in supporting H.R. 3440, the Sustainable 
Skies Act, and want to underscore that a blender's tax credit 
specifically aimed at incentivizing the production of SAF is the most 
important action that Congress can take to support decarbonization of 
the aviation sector. The Administration's Aviation Climate Action Plan 
and SAF Grand Challenge also recognize the need to rapidly scale the 
SAF industry this decade. Policies like the blender's tax credit are 
crucial to achieving the Administration's goal of 3 billion gallons of 
SAF by 2030 and 100% SAF by 2050, representing an estimated 35 billion 
gallons. With aviation being one of the most challenging transportation 
sectors to decarbonize, building a thriving domestic SAF industry is 
crucial to our energy security and will put airports and operators on a 
path to achieving their shared sustainability goals.
        Investing in Sustainability at General Aviation Airports
    Across our nation's diverse system of general aviation airports, 
business aircraft operators and airport management are investing in a 
more sustainable future. For NBAA members participating in our 
Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation program, investments in 
emerging technologies, alternative fuels, building efficiency and 
resiliency, and employee training are underway to reduce CO2 
emissions at their airport facilities. Beyond the 10% CO2 
reduction over their baseline accreditation year, on a path to net-zero 
carbon emissions by 2040, program participants will need to provide 
information in a sustainability strategy document addressing their 
short and long-term goals.
    This strategy is leading to significant investments at airports. 
For example, a leading air charter operator in California has completed 
the installation of a 500-kilowatt solar array covering approximately 
30,000 square feet of roof space. This project will offset the 
equivalent of 530 metric tons of CO2. Also, in California, a 
well-respected flight department is committed to being net-zero 
emissions as a company by the end of 2022 and carbon neutral by the end 
of this year 2021. To help achieve these goals, the company will also 
utilize all-electric vehicles and aircraft ground power units.
    In addition to its leadership on SAF, Signature Flight Support 
recently completed its 29th LEED certified construction project at the 
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The company is 
pivoting to the use of biodiesel to power its vehicles and increasing 
its electric-powered ground service equipment across its fleet. 
Independent FBOs, such as Gary Jet Center in Chicago, are also 
committed to sustainability by constructing a new facility to LEED 
standards.
    As sustainable technologies for airports and ground support 
equipment advance, the business aviation community is committed to 
being a leader and early adopter. Our broad industry goal for net-zero 
emissions by 2050 and more detailed goals for Sustainable Flight 
Department Accreditation participants provide a measurable framework 
for emissions reductions. Our airport partners are a crucial part of 
the equation. Through forums such as the Business Aviation Coalition 
for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, we have the framework to decarbonize the 
aviation sector together.
         Leading in Electric Aviation and Advanced Air Mobility
    Electric aviation and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) represents the 
next generation of air transportation in the United States. Through 
electrification and next-generation battery technology, AAM will 
advance the nation towards sustainable, zero-emission aerospace and 
open new transportation opportunities to move people between and within 
urban, suburban, and rural areas. AAM has the potential to directly 
connect communities that legacy infrastructure investments may have 
left behind. The technology will improve mobility, leverage existing 
public transportation systems, create workforce opportunities, reduce 
congestion, and support emissions reductions. AAM has the potential to 
create nearly 300,000 jobs and become an annual $115 billion market by 
2035.
    General aviation airports will be an essential part of electric 
aviation's future. Companies like ZeroAvia, Ampaire, and Tencam are 
developing all-electric or hybrid-powered aircraft that will have zero 
emissions and drastically reduced noise and frequently operate at 
general aviation airports. These same airports will also support AAM 
operations as they are often located closer to communities and provide 
the existing infrastructure that can readily support electric aviation. 
In a 2020 Electric Aircraft Feasibility Study, the State of Washington 
identified its 124 general aviation airports as ideal locations for 
charging infrastructure. The study also analyzed infrastructure at each 
general aviation airport and found that 72 airports are currently well 
situated to support electric aviation operations.
    A vital element of the push to expand AAM will be the large-scale 
rollout of charging infrastructure for these electric aircraft, 
especially charging facilities at existing airports. Without the 
necessary charging infrastructure in place, it is difficult for private 
businesses and individuals to be confident enough to switch to cleaner, 
electric aviation. We have seen a similar dynamic with the transition 
to electric vehicles in automobiles, and policymakers have responded 
appropriately by providing tax incentives for businesses and 
individuals to install EV charging stations.
    The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit (section 
30C of the Internal Revenue Code) allows for a 30% tax credit for the 
cost of any qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property, 
which includes electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen 
refueling stations. Recognizing the challenges posed by climate change 
and the need to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized future, the 
Administration and Congress have released proposals to enhance and 
extend the section 30C tax credit for EV charging stations.
    NBAA and our AAM Roundtable support a simple technical change to 
modernize the section 30C tax credit to ensure that the critical 
investments necessary for AAM, or electric aviation, charging 
infrastructure are covered and similarly deployed. Leveraging private 
investment with an expanded Sec. 30C tax credit is key to the 
successful rollout of charging stations for electric aviation across 
our existing network of more than 5,000 public-use airports.
    Finally, thanks to the dedication of Chair Larsen, Ranking Member 
Graves, and their committed staff, we are proud that H.R. 6270, the 
Advanced Aviation Modernization Act, was approved by the full 
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. The AAIM Act authorizes 
funding to plan for and eventually build critical new AAM 
infrastructure by leveraging existing public transportation facilities 
to support AAM operations and fostering engagement programs to 
introduce the latest technologies to diverse communities. This 
legislation, which has nearly 30 bi-partisan co-sponsors, will position 
the United States to maintain its global leadership in aviation while 
providing the tools to create thousands of new green jobs for our 
skilled aviation workforce.
                               Conclusion
    This hearing and similar discussions with policymakers are critical 
because they bring together aviation stakeholders around solutions for 
a sustainable future. The United States has a general aviation airport 
network second to none, and these facilities are rapidly embracing 
emissions reductions and a more sustainable operating model. Equally 
important is that general aviation airports will support electric 
aviation by providing locations for charging infrastructure and 
connecting AAM to communities.
    We look forward to engaging with the Aviation Subcommittee on 
policy solutions, such as the SAF blender's tax credit and AAIM Act 
that provide the tools for aviation's sustainable future.

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