A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Phillips 66 will begin the conversion of its major petroleum refinery in the San Francisco area into one of the world’s largest renewable fuels facilities. Under discussion and consideration for <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-08-13/phillips-66-goes-sustainable-aviation-fuel">nearly two years</a>, the Rodeo Renewable project, named after the California town that is home to the refinery, will irreversibly modify the plant,&nbsp;rendering it unable to process crude oil in the future.

 


Plans call for the repurposing of existing equipment such as hydrocracking units and the construction of new pre-treatment units to enable renewable fuel production. The converted facility will leverage a flexible logistics infrastructure to accept feedstocks from local, domestic, and international sources.

 


The $850 million project received the green light from Contra Costa County earlier this month and is expected to begin commercial operations in the first quarter of 2024. Once fully operational, the production facility will process waste oils, fats, and greases to produce an initial 800 million gallons of renewable fuels a year. That includes sustainable aviation fuel.

 


“Rodeo Renewed stands to play a major role in helping us lower our carbon footprint as we continue to provide reliable, affordable energy,” explained Greg Garland, the fuel provider’s chairman and CEO. “This is a project that will help meet growing demand for lower-carbon fuels, preserve jobs, and support California in achieving its climate goals.”

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Phillips 66 To Establish Large Renewable Fuels Plant

Phillips 66 has decided to begin conversion of its major San Francisco area petroleum refinery into one of the world’s largest renewable fuels facilities.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

The report sees the Midwest as a future hotbed of SAF production

Environmental Group Sees U.S. e-Fuel Potential

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

NBAA called a study suggesting business aviation emissions will need to be regulated 'misleading' 

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Bizav Emissions

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Project also includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, and American Airlines, plus MIT and University of Michigan

NASA Contracts Electra for AACES Sustainable Airliner Program

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

4,000 solar panels have been fitted on buildings across the London-area facility

Solar Generates 25% of Farnborough's Electric Power

Matt Thurber

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In Environment

Environmental Group Sees U.S. e-Fuel Potential

The report sees the Midwest as a future hotbed of SAF production

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Bizav Emissions

NBAA called a study suggesting business aviation emissions will need to be regulated 'misleading'

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA Contracts Electra for AACES Sustainable Airliner Program

Project also includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, and American Airlines, plus MIT and University of Michigan

Solar Generates 25% of Farnborough's Electric Power

4,000 solar panels have been fitted on buildings across the London-area facility

San Carlos Flight Center Adopts Unleaded Swift 100R

High-octane unleaded avgas is becoming more available in California

Minnesota Selected for SAF Production Site

DG Fuels plans for the $5 billion production facility to be operational by 2030

Still In Its Infancy, SAF Growing by Leaps and Bounds

With jet-A holding a 75-year head start over SAF, it will take time to catch up

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