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

Sustainable fuel technology company Alder Renewables (formerly Alder Fuels) has established a dedicated lab facility in Boulder, Colorado, to accelerate the commercialization of its Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) and Alder Pyrolytic Sugars (APS) platform, which can be used to produce products such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass.
Alongside the company’s private and public technology partners, the lab provides increased operational capabilities, allowing it to launch newly funded projects and continue grant work from the Department of Energy’s bioenergy technologies office.&nbsp;The 4,200-sq-ft space now houses Alder’s lab test stand equipment, pre-pilot reactors, and the company’s fully integrated pilot plant.
This plant is zoned to produce small quantities of ARC and APS and, through hydrotreating, convert them into SAF and other renewable fuels.&nbsp;The new lab’s purpose will be to establish the end-to-end pilot capabilities to de-risk the scale-up of the proprietary process and optimize product quality and yields while streamlining operational and equipment costs.
“The technical team at Alder Renewables deserves a lot of credit,” said Tim Obitts, Alder’s CEO and former head of the National Air Transportation Association, adding that they have worked tirelessly to reach this phase in development. “As we continue progressing towards commercialization, I’m confident that this investment in our people and operations will deliver an immediate impact on our mission to decarbonize key sectors in our society.”

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

Alder Renewables Open Lab for Sustainable Aviation Fuel  Commercialization

Facility will work out any hurdles in the process ahead of full-scale production

Sustainable fuel tech company Alder Renewables set up a lab facility in Colorado to accelerate commercialization of its sustainable fuels production process.

Alder Renewables Opens SAF Lab in Colorado

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

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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

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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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