EIA: US sustainable aviation fuel production capacity grows 1,400% since early 2024

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production is growing in the United States as new capacity comes online.  

U.S. production of “other biofuels,” the category the U.S. Energy Information Administration uses to capture SAF in its Petroleum Supply Monthly, approximately doubled from December to February. 

Investments in SAF have increased, according to EIA, because of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, federal tax credits and state programs and tax credits incentivizing use of the fuel. 

In addition to SAF, EIA’s “other biofuels” category includes renewable heating oil, renewable naphtha, renewable propane, renewable gasoline and other emerging biofuels that are in various stages of development and commercialization. 

Prior to 2025, renewable naphtha and renewable propane, which are byproducts of renewable diesel production, made up most of the “other biofuels” production and was increasing because of growing renewable diesel production.  

SAF made up only a small portion of “other biofuels” production because of limited production capacity.  

At the beginning of 2024, U.S. SAF production capacity was only around 2,000 barrels per day, with just two plants capable of producing SAF: World Energy’s plant in Paramount, California, and Montana Renewables’ plant in Great Falls, Montana. 

U.S. SAF production capacity increased by about 25,000 barrels per day in late 2024.  

Phillips 66 completed its 10,000-barrel-per-day SAF project in Rodeo, California, in the third quarter of 2024, before temporarily halting production in the fourth quarter.  

Diamond Green Diesel completed its 15,000-barrel-per-day SAF project in Port Arthur, Texas, in the fourth quarter. 

A couple of smaller projects will bring additional SAF production capacity online in 2025.  

New Rise Renewables announced it began SAF production at its plant in Reno, Nevada, in February, adding up to 3,000 barrels per day of SAF production.  

Par Pacific plans to begin SAF production at its plant in Kapolei, Hawaii, in the second half of the year, adding about 2,000 barrels per day of SAF production capacity. 

With SAF production capacity now around 30,000 barrels per day and growing in 2025, SAF will likely drive significant growth in “other biofuels” production and make up most of the fuel in that EIA category.  

In January, U.S. production of “other biofuels” reached 33,000 barrels per day, nearly 30 percent more than the previous record high set in September.  

Production increased another 30 percent in February to 44,000 barrels per day.  

In EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, it forecasts that U.S. production of “other biofuels” will more than double between 2024 and 2025 and increase by about another 20 percent in 2026.  

Although EIA does not publish a forecast for each fuel that makes up the category, it expects increased SAF production to drive most of that growth.  

Despite strong growth in SAF on a percentage basis, the absolute volumes will remain relatively low, making up less than 2 percent of about 1.7 million barrels per day of U.S. jet fuel consumption in 2025 and about 2 percent in 2026.