SAF in North America: Four Years of Growth, Policy Shifts, and What Comes Next
Nick Cassidy
Senior Client Services Manager
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Sustainable Aviation Futures
The SAF North America congress has reached its 4th edition this year, and with the U.S. set to lead global production, let’s rewind the clock and see just how far we have come.
2022
The U.S. SAF policy began to take shape, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a federal roadmap, and increasing state-level incentives. However, production capacity remained constrained.
The primary commercial suppliers at the time were World Energy and Neste, while companies like Gevo, Alder Fuels, Phillips 66, and LanzaJet were emerging as innovators in the space. Major energy and technology firms were also evaluating opportunities to enter this developing market.
That year, we hosted the first edition of SAF North America in San Francisco, drawing around 250 attendees. The industry was still in its early stages—like a toddler taking its first steps—but with the venue at full capacity, the eagerness to learn and grasp the market’s potential was evident in every participant.
2023
A year on, the SAF tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act became the primary driver of market growth, accelerating new offtake agreements, refinery conversions, and the construction of first-of-their-kind production plants.
While the IRA boosted investor confidence, uncertainties around carbon accounting rules and feedstock limitations prevented some producers from fully committing. This underscored the need for clear policies, diversified low-carbon feedstock supplies, and robust blending and distribution infrastructure to move beyond small-scale pilot projects and achieve meaningful market expansion.
Regulatory progress still had a long way to go, and at the SAF North America congress—now relocated to Houston—we addressed these challenges head-on. With over 120 speakers and 420+ delegates and sponsor representatives, we explored the IRA and state incentives in depth, featuring insights from Washington State Senator Andy Billig. Discussions also covered the latest advancements in SAF derived from bio-based feedstocks, Power-to-Liquid (PtL) & eFuels, and carbon markets & accounting.
2024
By 2024, the U.S. SAF market gained significant momentum, propelled by IRA tax credits and reinforced by the launch of the Grand Challenge Implementation Framework, which highlighted rapid production growth and capacity announcements.
Several states expanded on federal incentives by introducing their own tax credits and policy measures to attract SAF production and blending. Illinois, Washington, Minnesota, and California took the lead, implementing programs that incentivized low-carbon SAF and fostered in-state supply chains.
They were soon joined by Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado andNew York, which introduced similar policies—often tying incentives to carbon-intensity reductions or the use of local feedstocks.
On the production front, World Energy and Montana Renewables were actively supplying SAF, while Phillips 66 and Valero brought substantial volumes online through refinery conversions. LanzaJet made strides with commercial ethanol-to-SAF production, and DG Fuels outlined a long-term vision for biorefineries.
The tone of the Houston congress shifted from “How do we start?” to “How do we scale and diversify?” Discussions increasingly focused on overcoming practical barriers—permitting, logistics, and blending infrastructure—while integrating financial strategies, supply chain resilience, and multi-pathway decarbonization approaches.
2025
So, it clear that over the last 4 years, the SAF industry has grown at a rapid pace. From only a handful of projects providing innovative solutions, to dozens of new projects being privately financed, or funded by the DOE and USDA. It is clear (this year more than before) that there are still plenty hurdles to jump before any net-zero targets will be hit.
While the discussion is still very much “How do we scale and diversify?” we can not ignore the bigger questions “How do we navigate the regulatory landscape?” and “How do we go from concept to shovels in the ground?”.
Now, I’m not a SAF expert, but given you’re reading this, you might just be, and it is crystal clear to both of us what the first step is. And that is collaboration.
We have seen collaboration across the globe from across the value chain, such United Airlines, Honeywell and Alder Fuels, SkiesFifty and Frontline BioEnergy and many more.
The main aim for this year’s Houston congress is to enable collaboration. Bringing the entire aviation value chain under one roof, help promote cross-sector communication, provide 1-to-1 meeting spaces and more interactive, hands-on sessions. And with critical milestones such as CORSIA’s mandatory offsetting in 2027, Canada’s 40% emission reduction across the board, and the USA’s target of producing 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, North America’s aviation sector is at a turning point.
The congress is positioned to be a critical tool for the aviation industry, and with 800 key players from across the aviation space, it is set to be a milestone event.
So, are you going to be a key player too at SAF North America?