Across the country, states are making a choice. Some are leaning into sustainable aviation fuel and carbon infrastructure, working to attract investment, support farmers, and build long-term markets. Others are still debating.
And the gap between those approaches is starting to show.
Kentucky and Minnesota Are Moving
Kentucky didn’t wait. Lawmakers passed a new SAF tax credit aimed at bringing production and investment into the state. The goal is simple: compete early, attract capital, and create new demand for agriculture.
Minnesota is on a similar path. State leaders are working to expand and extend their SAF incentives, with support from agriculture, energy, and industry groups. The focus is on long-term certainty so projects can actually move forward.
These are deliberate decisions. They’re about making sure farmers and rural communities have access to new markets, not just hoping those markets show up on their own.
Nebraska Already Showed the Blueprint
Nebraska didn’t just talk about it.
They’ve aligned policymakers, communities, and industry to move carbon capture infrastructure forward. Projects like the Trailblazer Pipeline are helping position ethanol for a bigger role in low-carbon fuels, including SAF.
That kind of coordination doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when there’s a shared understanding that growth requires action. And the payoff is clear: investment, jobs, and expanded market access for farmers.
Meanwhile, the Window Isn’t Waiting
Here’s the reality: SAF demand is growing. Investment is looking for a place to land and states are competing for it right now.
When policies create certainty, projects move. When they don’t, projects go somewhere else.
It’s that simple.
What’s at Stake for Farmers
Farmers are already under tremendous pressure. Commodity prices are down, input costs like fuel and fertilizer are still high, and margins are tight, and in some cases getting tighter. Recent reporting from Axios highlights just how serious the situation has become, with some economists warning the current downturn in the farm economy is the most prolonged since the 1980s.
That’s the backdrop for all of this.
This is exactly why new, durable demand matters. SAF isn’t just another policy conversation. It’s a real opportunity to connect farmers to a growing global market and create more stable, long-term demand for what they produce.
Because the alternative is what farmers are dealing with right now: volatility, uncertainty, and fewer options. And that’s not a long-term strategy.
The Bottom Line
Kentucky is moving. Minnesota is moving. Nebraska is already delivering results.
When state leaders work with communities and investors, things get built, markets expand, farmers benefit, and communities thrive.
When they don’t, the opportunity doesn’t disappear. It just shows up somewhere else.
