Congratulations to Snohomish County on your work on sustainable aviation fuel reaching a new milestone! State, industry, Tribal and non-profit leaders from Washington are coming together to develop the new Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator (CSAA). The goal of the CSAA is to accelerate the production, deployment and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Sustainable aviation fuel is developed from biological products like agricultural and forestry waste. Improving SAF technology, affordability and availability can reduce the carbon footprint of flying. This would not only improve air quality and climate outcomes, it also creates new jobs and economic opportunities.
The Puget Sound region has been at the forefront of the new sustainable fuel industry since the development of a research and development center for SAF at Paine Field that built on the area’s long history of innovation in aviation. Learn more about the SAF Center.
The CSAA is made possible by a 2025 State of Washington appropriation and private philanthropic donation of an additional $10 million. It will function as a nonprofit in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce.
The global aviation industry currently generates $4.1 trillion in economic activity and supports 86.5 million jobs, but accounts for approximately 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions. SAF could reduce those emissions by 80% compared to fossil-based fuels.
The new center was announced at an event held at the Boeing Future of Flight facility in Mukilteo last week. Support for the aerospace industry and sustainable aviation fuel are a primary focus of the Regional Economic Strategy and annually adopted focus areas.
