The Case Against Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs)
November 5, 2025
Massachusetts Legislators’ Briefing: “Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts“ by Institute for Policy Studies, 10/14/25
Fifty legislators and staffers attended a briefing on an important new report published by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS): “Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts,” at which climate champion Senator Mike Barrett made salient remarks, setting the political context in which the issue of so-called Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Massachusetts is playing out. For Senator Barrett’s remarks and the presentation by co-authors Chuck Collins and Neil Rasmussen, see this YouTube video.
CO2 emissions are five times lower if we direct new clean electricity to the grid to displace natural gas, instead of using it to create e-fuel SAF.
To displace current fossil jet fuel use with e-fuel in Massachusetts would require annual subsidies that are 2 to 12 times the entire annual Massachusetts Transportation budget of $1.37 billion.
The magnitude of electrical power required to produce e-fuel to meet Massachusetts aviation requirements is much more than the Commonwealth generates today.
The most severe and unsolved problem with SAF is that its use increases CO2 emissions.
Related links:
October 14, 2025
SPJE State House Rally
Challenging “Sustainable” Aviation Fuels
A rally calling out SAFs as an ineffective solution for reducing aviation emissions:
“Airfield Expansion Opponents Dismiss "Greenwashing Campaign" by Ella Adams for the State House News Service, 10/14/25, picked up by Commonwealth Beacon
Documents delivered to the Governor and State House lawmakers on October 14th:
Letter signed by over 50 organizations urging the Governor & State Legislators to reject SAF policy & subsidies
“Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts” report by the Institute for Policy Studies released on 10/13/25
Letter from The Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions (ACES)’s letter to Governor Healey delivered on 10/9/25
Webinar Links:
Panelists’ Publications
Alternatives to Jet Fuels: Promising Solution or Industry Hype? – May 2024, co-author Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies
Under New Guidance, 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuel in the US Could Be Anything But, May 9, 2024 By Dan Lashof and Audrey Denvir World Resources Institute
The potential for private luxury jets with low climate impact, Jan 1, 2024 – white paper by Neil Rasmussen
Related CBS Coverage:
How are airports ‘greenwashing’ their reputations?∙ Interview with panelist Chuck Collins, CBS News Saturday Morning∙ 11/30/24
click here to expand flyer.
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January 8, 2025
SPJE Webinar for Policymakers and the Public
Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Can They Meet 2050 Climate Goals
SAF Articles & More
Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Massachusetts• report published by Institute for Policy Studies • 10/14/25
Letter Urging MA Lawmakers to Reject SAF Policy & Subsidies, signed by over 50 Massachusetts Organizations, 10/14/25
Letter to Governor Healey re: Sustainable Aviation Fuels Policy • signed by the Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions (ACES) • 10/9/25
Flight from reality: sustainable aviation, Jet Zero, and the technofix • by Gareth Dale, Josh Moos & Alistair Bernal Holmes• 10/7/25
Hope or Hype: Can SAF Really Justify Airport Expansion• Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) • 9/4/25
Shell ‘puts another nail in the coffin’ of sustainable jet fuel •The Telegraph • 9/3/25
Why green aviation fuel failed to take off • The Telegraph 8/17/25
Sustainable aviation fuel policy in the United States • Climate Catalyst • 8/2025
The airline industry’s dirty secret: Clean jet fuel failures • Reuters • 8/11/25
The ‘Green’ Aviation Fuel That Would Increase Carbon Emissions by Michael Grunwald • 5/27/25 Yale publication
“The U.S. agriculture lobby has long promoted ethanol for cars. If President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ becomes law, the industry would be given tax credits for producing crop-based fuel for planes, too, despite evidence it would spur deforestation and increase emissions.”
Answering Questions about SAF Benefits • Save Our Heritage, 5/25/25
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are claimed to reduce jet CO2 emissions by up to 80%. Yet it is also argued that SAFs are not a “clean” aviation solution. How can these contradictory claims be reconciled?
Sustainable aviation fuel plans under fire over crop emissions, Trellis Group, 5/5/25
LTE: Response to: “We can boost aviation fuel independence” ∙ Boston Herald ∙ Lara Sullivan ∙ 4/20/25
The United States Should Not Turn Food Into Aviation Fuel,World Resources Institute, 1/31/25
Massport CEO might want to think again about ‘green’ airline fuel∙ Letters to the Editor from SPJE members, Boston Globe∙ 11/11/24
Getting real about capturing carbon from the air, MIT Center for Sustainability Science & Strategy, 9/20/24
Out of 1,500 global climate policies, only 63 have really worked. That’s where green spin has got us∙ George Monbiot∙ The Guardian∙ 9/12/24
Analysis: Benefits of UK ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ will be wiped out by rising demand∙ Josh Gabbatiss∙ Carbon Brief∙ 5/15/24
‘Magical thinking’: hopes for sustainable jet fuel not realistic, report finds ∙ The Guardian∙ 5/14/24
Why new ethanol aviation fuel tax subsidies aren’t a clear climate win∙ James Temple∙ Technology Review∙ 5/1/24
Alternatives to Jet Fuels: Promising Solution or Industry Hype?– report published by Institute for Policy Studies, 5/2024
The Government’s SAF mandate aims to boost the use of alternative fuels, but making jet fuel from waste won’t solve the aviation emissions problem∙ Aviation Environment Federation∙ 4/25/24
As Carbon Air Capture Ramps Up, Major Hurdles Remain, Nicola Jones, Yale Environment 360, 3/20/24
Lufthansa Says Green Fuel Would Eat Up Half German Electricity∙ Bloomberg∙ 9/25/23
Aviation’s climate conundrum: More than sustainable fuels needed∙ Sean Mowbray∙ Global Bioenergy∙ 7/19/23
A Realistic Path to Net-Zero Emissions for Commercial Aviation∙ Jérémie Danicourt, Jim Harris, Adam Papania, and Austin Kim∙ Bain∙ 6/5/23
Britain is boiling – and the government wants to dramatically expand UK aviation∙ Leo Murray∙ The Guardian∙ 7/19/22
Opinion: Inconvenient Truths Behind Sustainable Aviation Fuel∙ Jim Harris∙ Aviation Week∙ 7/1/22
Aviation Could Consume a quarter of 1.5C carbon budget by 2050∙ Carbon Brief∙ 8/8/1
SPJE Delivers Powerful Testimony on SAFs
SPJE’s SAF Analysis Team made a significant impact at the May 14th 2025 Joint Committee hearing.
On Tuesday, May 14th, members of the SPJE Coalition delivered compelling testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (TUE) regarding bills S.2251 and H.3576, "An Act Relative to the Just Transition to Clean Energy."
Our experts clearly articulated the concerns with these bills' presumption that Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are clean, green, and readily available alternatives to conventional jet fuel - a misconception that needs correction as policymakers consider these important pieces of legislation.
Watch our testimony starting at 1:33:15 - our panel presentation lasts about 12 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of insightful Q&A with committee members.
Take Action: Contact info@spje.org for sample letters and detailed instructions on how to submit your comments to the committee and help correct misconceptions about SAFs.