Wisconsin Energy Institute discusses ways to reduce carbon emissions in aviation

The Wisconsin Energy Institute is looking for ways to meet the growing demand for alternatives to petroleum-based fuel and other chemicals. The institute held an event on February 2, 2023 to bring together researchers and industry leaders to discuss sustainable aviation fuels and the opportunities they can provide. Decarbonizing the aviation industry has been one of the biggest hurdles in combating climate change, but institute director Timothy Donohue said agricultural residues and crops could provide one way to do so. That, in turn, could not only have environmental benefits but also promote economic development in rural areas, he said. "The other big benefit is that these are processes that would need to be done close to where the residues are produced, so that means a state like Wisconsin could be the host for refineries to generate these fuels locally, within 50 or 100 miles of where the ag residue are produced," Donohue said.