{"id":33834,"date":"2026-01-12T19:56:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/?p=33834"},"modified":"2026-01-12T19:56:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:56:24","slug":"skynrg-secures-key-environmental-approvals-to-advance-sustainable-aviation-fuel-in-eastern-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/washington\/skynrg-secures-key-environmental-approvals-to-advance-sustainable-aviation-fuel-in-eastern-washington\/%20","title":{"rendered":"SkyNRG Secures Key Environmental Approvals to Advance Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Eastern Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/skynrg.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/skynrg.com\/\">SkyNRG<\/a>\u202fannounced a key milestone for <a href=\"https:\/\/projectwigeon.skynrg.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/projectwigeon.skynrg.com\/\">Project Wigeon<\/a>, a planned sustainable aviation fuel facility in Eastern Washington, after securing environmental approvals from the Washington State\u202fDepartment of Ecology and Walla Walla County.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These approvals confirm that the project meets state and local environmental standards, including requirements related to land use, water protection, and fuel transportation. Project Wigeon will be among North America\u2019s first commercial-scale SAF projects producing jet fuel from renewable natural gas (RNG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAviation is one of the hardest sectors to reduce harmful\u202femissions,\u202fwhich is why\u202fSkyNRG\u202fis building SAF facilities such as Project Wigeon around the world,\u201d said\u202fJohn Plaza, Chief Executive Officer of\u202fSkyNRG\u202fAmericas.\u202f\u201cThe Department of Ecology\u2019s environmental review and Walla Walla County\u2019s approval\u202fdemonstrate\u202four commitment to building this facility the right way\u2014using\u202findustry-leading technology\u202fand conducting robust analysis of environmental impacts. This milestone allows\u202fSkyNRG\u202fto continue delivering clean fuel to major airports, building economic opportunity in Eastern Washington, and protecting natural resources and community health for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor several years, Boeing has supported SkyNRG\u2019s efforts to develop SAF in the Pacific Northwest to enable our industry\u2019s long-term growth, innovation, and efficiency,\u201d said Allison Melia, Vice President of Sustainability at Boeing. \u201cWe look forward to leveraging SAF supply from SkyNRG and others for our operations as we increase airplane production to meet strong demand for our products.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SkyNRG\u2019s new facility\u202fsupports a fast-emerging SAF\u202fglobal market as the aviation\u202findustry\u202flooks to develop new, domestically produced fuel options to meet rising demand and reduce emissions. Demand for SAF is accelerating, with\u202fglobal demand projected to reach five billion gallons by 2030 and more than\u202f12 billion gallons\u202fby 2035.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Environmental Permitting Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In December 2025, Walla Walla County issued Project Wigeon its Critical Areas Permit, which documents the facility\u2019s compliance with local environmental regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Critical Areas Permit was\u202fpreceded by the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecology.wa.gov\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ecology.wa.gov\/\">Washington\u202fState\u202fDepartment of Ecology<\/a>\u2019s\u202fMitigated Determination of\u202fNonsignificance\u202f(MDNS)\u202fpursuant to\u202fthe\u202fState\u202fEnvironmental Policy Act (SEPA) in September 2025.\u202f\u202fThe MDNS reflects the\u202fstate\u2019s\u202fconclusion\u202fthat\u202fthere are no significant adverse outcomes resulting from the project that are not mitigated.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The facility\u2019s mitigation measures address local air emissions, clean fuel transportation, use of local water supplies, and\u202fgroundwater impacts. This includes\u202fenergy-efficient technologies built into the facility\u2019s design and operations, creating a durable foundation for both environmental protection and long-term economic growth in the region.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key aspects of the project include:\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Closed-loop industrial water system (Zero\u202fLiquid Discharge): All industrial and process water produced at Project Wigeon will be treated and reused on site, avoiding discharge, storage in ponds, or dispersal into groundwater.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Water conservation: The facility will use water from the Port of Walla Walla water system and will maximize\u202frecycling\u202fto reduce overall water demand.\u202f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Energy Production: Project Wigeon will utilize by-products of SAF production and excess steam to produce electricity on-site to offset impacts on the state\u2019s electricity grid and reduce the overall lifecycle emissions of SAF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air quality\u202fprotections: The facility will be designed to\u202foperate\u202funder stringent air permit conditions set by\u202fstate\u202fregulators, with ongoing monitoring and reporting.\u202f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stormwater management: Engineered containment systems will manage and control stormwater to protect surrounding land and water resources to limit impacts\u202fto\u202flocal\u202fgroundwater.\u202f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transportation safety and coordination: The transportation plan for SAF deliveries prioritizes safe, reliable methods for rail and trucks, purpose-built\u202floading\u202fand\u202fcontainment areas\u202fthat are\u202faligned with federal and\u202fstate\u202frequirements. Coordination with local partners and emergency services will be factored into project development and regular\u202foperations.\u202f<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These measures, and the secured\u202fstate\u202fand county approvals, are the result of more than three years of analysis and studies provided to\u202fstate\u202fregulators, local officials, technical experts, and\u202fcommunity\u202fleaders. This collaboration ensures the facility meets Washington\u2019s highest environmental and community standards.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sustainable Aviation Fuel\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SAF is made from sustainable resources\u202fand can be used\u202falongside\u202ftraditional jet fuel to reduce emissions. It is a \u201cdrop-in\u201d fuel, meaning it can be used without changes to\u202faircraft\u202for fueling infrastructure once blended and certified.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fuel\u202fproduced at the Walla Walla site will use RNG feedstocks, otherwise known as biogenic methane. RNG is collected from domestic landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and manure from animal farms, and can be delivered to Project Wigeon\u202fthrough existing\u202finfrastructure. SAF produced at Project Wigeon can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions up to 85% compared to fossil jet fuel, based on Washington state\u2019s emissions calculators, and can materially reduce particulate and sulfur emissions from jet aircraft that burn traditional jet fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Washington\u2019s Role in\u202fScaling the SAF\u202fIndustry\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Washington\u202fstate\u202fis a national leader in SAF policy, backed by bipartisan support to scale clean fuels, cut emissions, improve air quality, and strengthen U.S. energy independence through domestic aviation fuel production.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That leadership is reinforced by policies such as <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/billsummary?BillNumber=5447&amp;Year=2023&amp;Initiative=false\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/billsummary?BillNumber=5447&amp;Year=2023&amp;Initiative=false\">Senate Bill\u202f5447<\/a>,\u202fsigned into law in 2023, which established\u202fone of the nation\u2019s most effective incentives to scale <a href=\"https:\/\/skynrg.com\/sustainable-aviation-fuel\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/skynrg.com\/sustainable-aviation-fuel\/\">sustainable aviation fuel<\/a>. The state legislature has also\u202fdemonstrated\u202flong-standing leadership through the Washington\u202fState\u202fAlternative Jet Fuels Workgroup. Created in 2011, this leadership group advances\u202fSAF development\u202fstatewide through coordinated policy recommendations\u202fthat support innovation, job creation, and emission reduction across the\u202fstate\u2019s aviation sector. \u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to legislative support for SAF production and use, the executive branch has played an active role as a partner in advancing this work.\u202fIn 2025, the\u202fWashington\u202fState\u202fDepartment of Commerce awarded a $1.5 million grant to the Port of Walla Walla\u202fto support SkyNRG\u2019s construction of the facility, underscoring the project\u2019s economic potential and the\u202fstate\u2019s commitment to advancing energy transition opportunities.\u202f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SkyNRG\u202fannounced a key milestone for Project Wigeon, a planned sustainable aviation fuel facility in Eastern Washington, after securing environmental approvals from the Washington State\u202fDepartment of Ecology and Walla Walla County.\u202f\u202f\u202f These approvals confirm that the project meets state and local environmental standards, including requirements related to land use, water protection, and fuel transportation. Project Wigeon [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[115,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national-news","category-washington"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33834"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33835,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33834\/revisions\/33835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}