by Wayne Arden
For the full white paper on this issue, see here .
This year, before the Corona virus pandemic forced widespread travel lockdowns, global international aviation emissions were projected to be around 70% higher than in 2005 and the International Civil Aviation Organization forecast predicted that by 2050 emissions could grow by a further 300%–700%.(1)
Since March 2020, emissions have decreased as passenger and freight airplane use has dropped due to the social distancing requirements and the global economic contraction caused by the virus. This gives us an opportunity to reflect upon how we can re-envision aviation through a climate chaos lens. As the pandemic response relaxes and travel returns to its previous pace, how can we stop the trend of increasing emissions, with the ultimate goal of actually developing carbon neutral aircraft?
Airport emissions
One source of emissions is the airports themselves. However, airports can now buy electric vehicle (EV) versions of ground support equipment (GSE) in nearly all categories, including airplane tugs and tractors, baggage-handling tractors, fire trucks, pickup trucks (by 2021), and passenger buses. In 2019, JFK’s Terminal 5 switched to zero-emission GSE. In addition, per a comprehensive National Academy of Sciences study, airports have the unrealized potential to generate much of the power needed on-site, especially via solar energy.(2)
Electric aircraft
Electric aircraft will be transformative, eliminating jet fuel emissions, cutting the cost of flying, and substantially reducing takeoff and landing noise at airports. Ampaire says that fuel costs will decline 90%, maintenance costs 50%, and takeoff and landing noise 66% versus fossil-fueled aircraft.(3)
The nascent electric aircraft market is at a comparable stage of development to the EV market in 2008, when Tesla first delivered its electric two-seater, the Roadster. Dozens companies are working on electric planes or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. They range from industry giants, such as Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Hyundai and Rolls Royce, to slews of startups, like Ampaire. Wright Electric, a startup that moved its headquarters to Albany this year to take advantage of New York’s strong engineering talent, is developing a 737-class electric airplane that it anticipates will enter service in 2030. Per its CEO, Jeffrey Engler, “Wright believes all short flights of up to 1,000 miles can be hybrid or electric by 2040, which would dramatically reduce emissions in aviation.”(4)
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Barring an unforeseen technological breakthrough in battery energy density, in twenty years medium- to long-distance commercial flights will still require liquid fuel. Thus, the only way to reduce emissions of these flights is to replace jet fuel with an equivalent renewable fuel. Depending on the production methodology, jet aircraft using 100% biofuel can achieve emission reductions of over 50%, and via one approach, 75%, according to a Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory 2016 report.(5)
Over the last several years, multiple biofuel producers have achieved commercial-scale production volumes of well over a million gallons a year. Many carriers, including Air Alaska, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Qantas, Southwest, United and Virgin Atlantic, have signed agreements with producers to use biofuel. However, biofuel is available at only a small number of airports.
Emissions trading
North America has two different regional greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade pricing systems, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). RGGI members include New York plus nine other eastern states. WCI consists of California, Nova Scotia and Quebec. WCI is a more comprehensive initiative than RGGI, which applies only to power plant emissions. By contrast, WCI applies to most sources of GHG emissions, representing about 80% of the total.(6) However, even WCI does not take into account aviation emissions.
Actions we can pursue in NYS
These actions would both reduce emissions and stimulate job growth.
Airports
Require all publicly owned airports to purchase only zero-emission ground support equipment (GSE) starting in 2022 and fully implement them by 2030.
Analyze the potential for on-site electricity generation using renewable energy at all New York State airports.
Adopt San Francisco International Airport sustainability goals: that airports achieve zero net energy use, zero waste and carbon neutrality no later than 2025.(7)
Hospitals
Fund assistance to hospitals to replace helicopters with eVTOL aircraft, which will dramatically lower the cost of transporting both organs and severely injured patients to hospitals.
Businesses and consumers
Fund grants or low-cost loans to flight-training schools and flying clubs to buy electric airplanes, defraying the initial higher purchase price versus conventional airplanes. The buyers representing these two market segments could jump-start zero-emissions aviation in New York State.
Require sightseeing and airport transportation helicopters to fully implement fault-tolerant multi-rotor (eVTOL) aircraft by 2030.
Engage with aircraft manufacturing companies active in New York State, such as Beta Technologies and Wright Aircraft, to further explore the creation of jobs in the rapidly growing electric aircraft industry.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Develop a program to motivate more airlines to use SAF and ensure that airports make it available in significant quantities.
Offer incentives to encourage instate production of SAF.
National Policy
Advocate to merge Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) into a common system.
Expand WCI to apply to all significant commercial sources of GHG emissions, including the three modes of transportation: ground transportation, aviation and boats and ships.
Footnotes:
(1) European Commission website, Climate Action, Reducing Emissions from Aviation, https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/aviation_en, accessed March 2020.
(2) National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2015. Renewable Energy as an Airport Revenue Source. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, page 6, https://doi.org/10.17226/2213, accessed March 2020.
(3) Ampaire website, “Electric aircraft vs. fossil fuel aircraft” on home page, www.ampaire.com, accessed March 2020.
(4) Stephanie Goulet, Assistant Chief of Staff, Wright Electric, “Sierra Club article mentioning Wright Electric,” email message to Wayne Arden, February. 28, 2020.
(5) Liaw Batan, Mary Biddy, Jennifer Markam, Eric Tan, Ling Tao, Wei-Chang Wang, and Yanan Zhang, “Review of Biojet Fuel Conversion Technologies,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Technical Report, NREL/TP-5100-66291, July 2016, page 64, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/66291.pdf, downloaded March 2020.
(6) California Climate Investments 2019 Annual report, Annual Report to the Legislature on Using Cap-and-Trade Auction Proceeds, March 2020, page 1, https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/2019_cci_annual_report.pdf, downloaded March 2020.
(7) San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is trying to achieve these objectives by 2021: SFO website, “Your Gateway to Green Travel,” https://www.flysfo.com/environment/your-gateway-green-travel, accessed March 2020.
Wayne Arden is a volunteer with the NYC Group.
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