WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — Connecticut lawmakers announced a $1.8 million investment to create sustainable fuel for airplanes in Windsor Locks Wednesday, in what they described as a major step toward flying the aviation industry out of the climate crisis.
“We’re on the cusp of a major breakthrough in aerospace technology,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. We’ve only been in the air as human beings for 100 years and always used fossil fuel.”
The federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration will be used to build fuel pumps compatible with sustainable aviation fuels, in hopes of reducing the carbon footprint.
"We need to ensure that aviation can be done in a sustainable manner,” Dr. Michael Winter, RTX chief science officer, said at a press conference.
Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy joined RTX and Collins Aerospace officials in Connecticut to announce the federal grant that they said will help drive development for new aviation systems that use energy sources such as food and yard waste instead of fossil fuel.
“It’s an important project because the aviation industry set this really bold goal of getting to net zero and that’s hard to do,” Murphy said. “The only way that you can get there is by projects like this that are both reducing the carbon emissions and climate impact of aviation but also having downstream positive impacts by taking biomass out of the waste processing stream which lowers climate impacts in other sectors of our economy.”
The Biden administration set a goal for the aviation industry to produce $3 billion gallons of sustainable fuel by 2030. Experts said it if met, it would cut carbon emissions by 20%.
“To the everyday American, it will make a huge difference that planes that take them as passengers are emitting less because airplanes are a major source of climate change,” Blumenthal said.
Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor/reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her onFacebook, X and Instagram.
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