EVERETT, WA – Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded a total of $38 million to four innovative projects in Washington state aimed at accelerating the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low-emission aviation technologies. The funding comes from FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant initiative, which was established by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, emphasized the importance of investing in cleaner and greener aviation fuels and technologies.

“Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, sustainable aviation is taking off in Washington state,” said Larsen. “Investing in sustainable aviation fuels and greener technologies is an important step toward reducing aviation emissions and creating more jobs. Congress must continue to partner with innovative companies and the workforce to ensure the United States remains the global leader in cleaner, greener and safer aviation.”

Four Washington Projects Awarded FAST Grants

The FAA awarded a total of $38 million in FAST grants to four projects in Washington state:       

• $26.76 million for the bp Cherry Point Refinery in Whatcom County to increase SAF production and blending.
• $4.23 million for ZeroAvia in Everett to support the design, build, and testing of hydrogen fuel cell-powered propulsion system technologies. Larsen recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for ZeroAvia’s new electric-hydrogen propulsion center at Paine Field.
• $4.5 million for APiJET in Seattle to enhance a ground-based software tool for airlines that recommends fuel optimized routings.
• $2.59 million for Boeing to support its efforts to improve the measurement of fuel quality in an airplane fuel tank. This work will be done in Tukwila, Washington, Fairfax, Virginia, and Berkeley, Missouri.

What bp and ZeroAvia Are Saying

“bp understands the important role sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could play in contributing to the aviation industry’s goal of reducing carbon emissions – and we continue to consider possible opportunities to produce SAF at our Cherry Point refinery. We welcome the opportunity from the Federal Aviation Administration for our company to proceed to the next stage of Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant program process,” said Orlando Alvarez, Chairman & President, bp America.

“ZeroAvia will use this funding to advance clean electric propulsion technology in our Everett facility. It is great to see the Inflation Reduction Act delivering on its promise to tackle decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, and we are grateful for Representative Larsen's support for this important work,” said Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO, ZeroAvia.

Additional Information

Friday marks two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. Taken together, the provisions in the law – which includes $300 million to speed up production and adoption of cleaner aviation fuel and technologies ­­– will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 40 percent by 2030. For more information on the Inflation Reduction Act, click here.

In May, President Biden signed into law the bipartisan, bicameral FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which provides a framework to maintain America’s leadership in aviation safety and aerospace innovation, strengthens and diversifies the aviation workforce, improves consumer protections and accessibility, and makes groundbreaking investments in sustainability and resiliency. For more on the FAA Reauthorization Act, click here.

For more information on the FAST grant initiative, click here.

###