Aims To Spur Renewable Aviation Fuels And Technologies
US Secretary of Transportation
Mary E. Peters announced Thursday the FAA has selected the X Prize
Foundation to develop a strategy to create monetary incentives for
developing renewable aviation fuels and technologies to stem the
effect of pollutants from air travel.
"The race to refuel American aviation is on and our hope is that
the X Prize will jump-start investment and spur innovation," said
Secretary Peters. "It will be a competition that everyone wins,
because a breakthrough in alternative jet fuels is a potential
game-changer that could bring lower airline fuel costs, greater US
energy independence, and cleaner air."
The announcement was made at the American Association of Airport
Executives (AAAE) summit on July 10 in Washington, DC. The FAA and
the X Prize Foundation hope to inspire the private sector and a new
generation of individuals on the need and practical solutions
offered through alternative fuels and adaptive technologies in
aviation.
"Clean fuels and technologies are critical to maintaining our
productivity as a society and we are thrilled to receive this
funding to explore options for alternative aviation fuels," said
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation.
"In working with this grant, the X Prize Foundation will utilize
its comprehensive capabilities in the areas of energy and the
environment, including clean fuels, renewable power, efficient
homes and buildings and environmental protection."
The Ansari X Prize was awarded in 2004 after generating a
10-fold investment in research that fostered innovation and
creativity in private-sector human suborbital space flight. Since
that time, three additional X Prizes have been launched in the
areas of genomics, lunar exploration, and automotive
transportation.
Development of an aviation alternative technologies and fuels
prize is a key element of the FAA's Next Generation air traffic
modernization program and the FAA's strategy to move aviation
toward carbon neutral growth. Known as "NextGen," the program is a
broad US airspace system transformation plan established to double
the capacity of the US aviation system by the year 2025.
Alternative aviation fuels made from renewable, non-fossil sources
may potentially offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with
the increased air traffic.
The FAA, in association
with the US Department of Transportation's John A. Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center, established this project to drive
the development of renewable aviation fuel technology. The X Prize
Foundation has been selected to identify a method for
"incentivizing" the development of these fuels and technologies and
to devise a strategy to implement the prize incentive model in
coordination with NextGen efforts.
Over the next 14 months, the X Prize Foundation will consult
with industry experts to develop a strategy to bring together the
best minds in the aviation and science communities to solve the
technical challenges and speed up the development and
implementation of cost-effective renewable aviation fuels and
technologies that have an environmental life-cycle benefit and do
not present potentially negative side effects, such as the
displacement of food production or the inducement of land use
changes that lead to additional greenhouse gas emissions.
The X Prize Foundation will also work with various
organizations, including the private-sector and academic members of
the FAA's Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI).
In addition, the Foundation will define an implementation strategy
that could lead to advances in environmentally friendly alternative
aviation fuels and technologies that will ultimately accelerate
their introduction at a faster pace than the market would normally
provide. The strategy will facilitate discussions among industry
and the government to identify prize sponsors and initiate the
prize competition.
The FAA and X Prize Foundation expect the competition will
likely occur over three to eight years, taking into account the
difficulty of the task, but also maintaining the interest of
potential inventors as well as the public.