The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) urged the Biden administration to establish fair and reasonable criteria for farming practices for farmers and refineries seeking tax credits for sustainable aviation fuels.
These comments were submitted this week to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and detailed in a NCGA news release.
“Ethanol has played a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cars and trucks, and we can do the same for the airline industry,” NCGA President Harold Wolle said in the release. “But we need a level playing field that allows farmers to meet emission requirements using environmentally smart practices that will work on their farms.”
The issue involves tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act for sustainable aviation fuels, enabling farmers to participate in this emerging market.
To produce qualifying fuels under the standards set by the U.S. Department of Treasury, biofuel producers must demonstrate a reduction in their carbon intensity score. One way to achieve this, according to the guidance, is by using feedstocks grown with climate-smart agriculture practices.
Corn growers have expressed concerns about the feasibility of certain practices in different regions of the country.
“Corn growers produce a commodity that will help the Biden administration meet its ambitious climate goals,” Wolle said. “But imposing a one-size-fits-all standard for attaining the tax credit will make it hard for us to contribute to the president’s grand challenge.”
