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

Government officials and industry leaders were on hand today in Soperton, Georgia, as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) innovator and producer LanzaJet opened the world’s first commercial ethanol-to-SAF refinery.
The Freedom Pines facility—under construction since 2022—represents the first viable next-generation SAF technology capable of scaling production to the levels needed to help aviation decarbonize. It will utilize a variety of sustainable feedstocks including agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, energy crops, and captured carbon from industrial processes. At full capacity, it will produce 10 million gallons of SAF or renewable diesel a year, and through offtake agreements, its entire output is already committed for the next decade.
"LanzaJet Freedom Pines is proof of the energy transition accelerating in real time," stated Jennifer Holmgren, the company's board director and CEO of LanzaTech—which developed its ethanol-to-SAF technology. "We are demonstrating the ability to establish secure supply chains domestically, create new jobs locally, and produce sustainable aviation fuels globally."
Also in attendance at today's ribbon cutting were company shareholders International Airlines Group, Mitsui &amp; Co., <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2021-04-13/shell-invests-saf-producer">Shell</a>, and Suncor Energy, along with investors such as <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2022-01-17/lanzajet-receives-50-million-complete-new-saf-plant">the Microsoft Climate Innovation fund</a>, Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, and All Nippon Airways.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to harnessing the full potential of SAF as we continue to build a strong economy that is sustainable, resilient, competitive, and keeps rural places thriving,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “As we transition to SAF, this will not only create new climate-smart commodity markets for American producers, but it will also help American companies like LanzaJet corner the market of a valuable, emerging industry while revitalizing rural communities like Soperton with agriculture front and center in the effort.”

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

LanzaJet Opens World's First Ethanol-to-SAF Production Facility

The Georgia facility will be capable of producing 10 million gallons of fuel a year

Government officials and industry leaders Georgia witnessed sustainable aviation fuel producer LanzaJet opening the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF refinery.

LanzaJet Debuts World's First Ethanol-to-SAF Production Facility

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.

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