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 producer Pathway Energy has announced the location of its first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility. Construction on the $2 billion plant—which is expected to produce 30 million gallons of pure, neat SAF annually by 2029—will commence in Port Arthur, Texas, in 2026.
According to the company, its ultra-carbon-negative fuel produced via the Fischer–Tropsch process will achieve a 550% reduction in carbon compared to conventional jet-A.
The company intends to use wood pellet feedstock—a sustainable global commodity sourced via a strategic partnership with biomass provider Drax Global—which will be gasified to produce SAF.
“We saw the opportunity to provide carriers a pathway to completely decarbonize their flights with our net-zero blended fuel,” added Joshua Pearson, Pathway Energy’s chief technology officer. “This is a new type of SAF production that is seven to nine times more carbon negative than the SAF on the market today and represents the most sustainable, cost-efficient and derisked path to decarbonize global aviation, long term.”
By selecting Port Arthur, the company will also have access to geological carbon sequestration, to further improve its fuel’s carbon intensity score, in addition to existing oil and gas infrastructure offering industrial-scale import and export via road, rail, barge, and pipeline. “One of the reasons we decided to site our facility in Texas is the proximity to the companies advancing carbon sequestration development,” Pathway CEO Steve Roberts told AIN. “In Port Arthur, we will have access to three different storage platforms within 50 miles of our facility.”

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

A New Major Pathway Energy SAF Plant Is Planned for Texas

The multi-billion-dollar facility is expected to be running by 2029

Sustainable fuel producer Pathway Energy has announced the location of its first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility: Port Arthur, Texas.

New Major SAF Plant Planned for Texas

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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 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.

Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are committed to new R&D efforts in the Netherlands

RTX Launches Sustainability Alliance With Dutch Aerospace Sector

Total funding for the third phase of work could top €950 million

EU's Clean Aviation Set to Invite Proposals for Decarbonization R&D Work

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

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

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.

Naples Aviation is the first of many to begin offering SAF in the coming months

Florida FBO Becomes First on East Coast To Offer SAF

The large-scale plant is expected to come online in 2026

Pakistan's First SAF Plant Gets Funding Boost

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.

The move could bolster the Kingdom's circular economy and sustainability

TotalEnergies, Aramco Sign SAF Development Agreement

Kerry Lynch

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Environmental regulatory schemes are growing exponentially worldwide

4Air Compliance Services Expand with 21 More Enviro Regs

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

More In Environment

RTX Launches Sustainability Alliance With Dutch Aerospace Sector

Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are committed to new R&D efforts in the Netherlands

EU's Clean Aviation Set to Invite Proposals for Decarbonization R&D Work

Total funding for the third phase of work could top €950 million

Florida FBO Becomes First on East Coast To Offer SAF

Naples Aviation is the first of many to begin offering SAF in the coming months

Pakistan's First SAF Plant Gets Funding Boost

The large-scale plant is expected to come online in 2026

TotalEnergies, Aramco Sign SAF Development Agreement

The move could bolster the Kingdom's circular economy and sustainability

4Air Compliance Services Expand with 21 More Enviro Regs

Environmental regulatory schemes are growing exponentially worldwide

UK Mandate To Require More SAF Use Starting in 2025

Rules are intended to drive up availability of sustainable aviation fuel at airports

Environmental Group Sees U.S. e-Fuel Potential

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

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