Growing jet fuel

Private jets, commercial airliners, and the aviation industry pose a big challenge when it comes to cutting carbon pollution. But what if we could make jet fuel from a renewable crop, grown right here in Minnesota?

Minnesota, with its long agricultural history, is emerging as a leader in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A $5 billion SAF plant in Moorhead, set to open in 2030, will create 650 jobs and produce renewable jet fuel using locally sourced raw materials. And the new Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blending Facility in Rosemount is already allowing SAF to be blended with conventional jet fuel and delivered through existing pipelines directly to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). 

These are the first steps to making Minnesota a production hub, boosting our state’s economy and reducing the airline industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.

In the long term, a key part of Minnesota’s SAF success will be the use of winter camelina, a resilient oilseed crop developed by the University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative. Camelina is a clean water cash crop that not only thrives in Minnesota’s climate but also creates lower carbon fuel than most alternatives, improves soil health by keeping the soil covered in winter months, and reduces water pollution as it has a low or no-herbicide or fertilizer requirement.

In September of 2024, a test flight using camelina-based SAF successfully flew from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to New York. This shows the potential to reduce aviation pollution. A study is underway to determine how quickly we can reach 1 million acres of sustainable camelina each year, and Minnesota-based Cargill is heavily investing in the production. The sky’s the limit.

Conservation Minnesota has long championed more sustainable biofuel production in our state—and the 2026 legislative session delivered a meaningful step forward. 

This year, there was an opportunity to strengthen the state’s existing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credit through HF2438. The bill improved the tax credit by adding additional tax credits to fuels that reduce their carbon emissions beyond the 50% reduction required by the initial SAF tax credit. 

The legislation prohibits producers from using the carbon captured during SAF production for enhanced oil recovery, discourages clearing new land for production and incentivizes the use of existing farmland, and expands the use of renewably produced hydrogen for the tax credit.

These legislative changes enhance opportunities for farmers and producers who use emerging continuously living crops—like winter camelina—being developed by the University of Minnesota. These crops don’t just provide raw materials for cleaner fuels; they can significantly improve water quality in their local watersheds and communities downstream. 

Conservation Minnesota was proud to support this legislation alongside a broad coalition of partners. We will continue working to strengthen the sustainability of biofuels produced in Minnesota in the years ahead.