. @EU_Commission is holding a public consultation on policies the EU could use to jumpstart alternative jet fuel use by airlines. It’s generating some interesting responses; this one, from @AirlinesDotOrg, is worth unpacking: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12303-ReFuelEU-Aviation-Sustainable-Aviation-Fuels/F513318 (1/15)

There’s actually a lot of agreement between the Commission, US airlines, and @TheICCT @TheICCT_Fuels research on the economics of alt jet fuel production. For example, we’re on the same page that: (2/15)

Production and use of alternative jet fuels are negligible, and that they are still a long way from being commercially viable at scale: https://twitter.com/rutherdan/status/1225529263727751178 (3/15)

Producing alt jet fuels is more complex and costly than the green diesel that can be manufactured from wastes and used as a 100% drop-in fuel for road and maritime shipping: https://theicct.org/publications/cost-supporting-alternative-jet-fuels-european-union (4/15)

Alternative jet fuel is not an economically attractive substitute to conventional jet fuel because its production costs are more than twice as high as conventional jet fuel: https://theicct.org/publications/cost-supporting-alternative-jet-fuels-european-union (5/15)

Without a long-term policy framework, production costs of alternative jet fuels will remain high, and volumes negligible: https://theicct.org/publications/long-term-aviation-fuel-decarbonization-progress-roadblocks-and-policy-opportunities (6/15)

With that, here’s where I start to lose the thread of the airlines’ position on alt jet: (7/15)

1) Because airlines need liquid fuels, the Commission should implement policies that prioritize alt jet fuel over road and maritime transport alternative fuels (translation: we need special policies to drive scarce feedstocks to their least productive use) (8/15).

2) Policies that would require airlines to purchase alt jet fuel should be avoided they would give pricing power to producers (translation: airlines don’t want alt jet fuel providers to make money). (9/15)

3) Instead, governments should subsidize alt jet fuel purchases for airlines through positive incentives (translation: airlines won’t pay the extra cost of these fuels, so governments should). (10/15)

To summarize, airlines believe that alt jet fuels are costly to produce compared to other transport fuels, don’t want to pay the extra costs themselves, but invite governments to do so. So a waste of money and a great thing for governments to invest in, basically. (11/15)

@TheICCT@TheICCT_Fuels research suggests an alternate path based upon three key principles: (12/15)

1) Avoid policies that distort markets by steering feedstocks to specific sectors. Instead, address the underlying barriers to advanced feedstock development, create a level playing field across sectors, and electrify road transport ASAP (13/15). https://theicct.org/publications/long-term-aviation-fuel-decarbonization-progress-roadblocks-and-policy-opportunities