(ExpressTelegraph.com) — Georgia officials should prioritize a marketing strategy that attracts sustainable aviation fuel and mass timber manufacturers to the state.
That was among the recommendations the Senate Advancing Forest Innovation in Georgia Study Committee made during its final meeting this week.
The committee also recommended funding be allocated to a Georgia-based nonprofit or research facility affiliated with a post-secondary institution to support the research and development of innovative forestry markets. It also suggested conducting a formal study to determine necessary actions to ensure continued investment in and sustainability within the pulp and paper industry.
“Georgia’s forestry industry is at a critical point to take action on the market surrounding the forestry sector,” Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, said during this week’s meeting. “Market volatility and out-of-state closures within the supply chain have posed significant risk and continue to pose significant risk.
“These challenges result in higher prices for consumers and create uncertainty for the industry despite the abundance of the raw material here within our state,” Kennedy added. “Exploring innovative uses for forestry materials offers a significant opportunity for Georgia’s timber landowners and private sector partners to promote locally sourced products.”
The Peach State has a jump on sustainable aviation fuel. In August, the FAA announced two Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) grants for Georgia.
With a $240,000 grant, Atlanta will study regional supply chains, infrastructure, and distribution needs to enable SAF deployment at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Additionally, the feds are sending more than $3 million to Lanzajet to install a pre-fractionation column and ethanol storage tank at the Freedom Pine Fuels alcohol-to-jet SAF production plant in Soperton.
