ASHLAND, Neb. (KMTV) — The SAC Museum in Ashland was the backdrop for a discussion about the future of aviation and how Nebraska farmers might play a key role in it.
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Rep. Mike Flood convened a conference at the museum on Friday. The goal, he said, was to help Nebraska farmers learn about potential opportunities with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
"We woke up on third base on the sustainable aviation issue. There are states that aren't to first base," Flood said. "God made Nebraska for corn."
Sustainable aviation fuel is essentially ethanol for aviation. To meet environmental standards, carbon dioxide, a byproduct of ethanol production, has to be captured and buried underground. Nebraska has a more developed infrastructure for this process compared to neighboring states like Iowa and South Dakota.
While some see opportunities to make money, not everyone in agriculture agrees that sustainable aviation fuel is beneficial.
"What they're talking about, in terms of sustainable aviation fuel, is a fairy tale," said Trent Loos, rancher and political activist.
Loos also objects to tax credits for the industry.
"They say that it costs too much to be competitive. In what industry do we try to prop something up to be competitive when it's not competitive?" he said.
CO2 pipeline opponents often raise concerns about safety.
"You know, for years and years and years, we've had these debates about underground pipelines. They are the safest," Flood said.
Michael Gibbern, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, believes SAF would boost the agricultural economy, especially with current low corn prices.
"Economically, for sustainable aviation fuel to be a viable option and to get it off the ground, no pun intended, it's gonna take some government help. Some tax credits," Gibbern said.
Flood compared SAF to the rise in ethanol production a generation ago.
"Well, look at what Nebraska and the Feds did in the early part of the 2000s where we had the EPIC program that jump-started ethanol plant production in Nebraska," Flood said.
Unlike Iowa, the potential use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines hasn't been a major issue in Nebraska.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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