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Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator

Accelerating the transition to sustainable aviation fuel across the Pacific Northwest  

Our mission


The Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator (CSAA) aims to rapidly accelerate production, deployment, and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel across the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States.  
 
As a unique coalition of public/private stakeholders representing the entire sustainable aviation fuel value chain, CSAA’s work will simultaneously support the advancement of this low carbon fuel while building regional economic resilience for aviation in the PNW.
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Why Cascadia?


Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is currently the only readily available solution to decarbonize the aviation sector over the next 40 years. However, like any major energy transition, the switch to SAF requires market disruption and large-scale investment to achieve the scale and production efficiencies of traditional jet fuel.  

Unfortunately, current solutions have failed to catalyze commercial-scale production of SAF. To meaningfully accelerate the SAF transition, we need systems-level interventions that are localized to our specific geographic context. 

Why the Pacific Northwest?


The PNW has a unique set of advantages when it comes to SAF. With its exceptional natural resources (including an abundant and diverse feedstock supply), strategic policy environment, and robust industrial infrastructure, the PNW is poised to become a SAF production powerhouse.  

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Projected impact

1B gls
Annual SAF production supported by PNW feedstocks by 2035
$500B+
Predicted economic impact to the PNW region
14X
Regional economic value multiplier from investment in SAF
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Pillars of systemic change: The SAF transition


Global energy transitions need systems-level interventions to achieve wide-scale market adoption. Historical energy transitions such as coal to petroleum took decades and required significant investment in new technologies, infrastructure, and production pathways. Cleaner jet fuel alternatives face the same headwinds. 

Public/private partnerships are critical to implementing the systems-level solutions necessary to deliver rapid technology innovation, bend the cost curve of next-generation aviation fuels, and spur market growth. 

Our approach

Columbia River Our Approach

The Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator pairs systems-level interventions to SAF with the local context and comparative advantages of the PNW. We do this by tapping into the power of the collective, convening businesses, financiers, fuel producers, policymakers, laboratories, and other value chain stakeholders to accelerate the production and adoption of SAF.  

This “catalytic community” brings together the broadest group of stakeholders and expertise across the SAF value chain, from research and development to end user, to de-risk the SAF ecosystem and enable capital investment in the region.

In partnership with the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Institute


This work would not be possible without the support of the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Institute (CSAI), dedicated to commercializing new SAF technologies. Together, CSAA and CSAI will drive systems-level solutions that enable the broader market transition to SAF. 

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Participating coalition thought leaders 

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In the news

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Paine field can be key to the region’s future

HeraldNet

Sustainable aviation fuel center gets a funding boost