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How Boeing, partners will commit to boosting sustainable fuel

Joint initiative with Alaska Airlines and Pacific Northwest leaders will advance production, use of lower-emission jet fuel.

January 08, 2026 in Environment

Above, from left: Bill McSherry, Boeing vice president of government operations; Guy Palumbo, Amazon director of public policy; Joe Nguyen, Washington State Department of Commerce director; Elizabeth Cantwell, Washington State University president; Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson; Snohomish County executive Dave Somers; Washington state Sen. Marko Liias; Tim Zenk, Earth Finance managing director; Ryan Spies, Alaska Air Group managing director of sustainability; and Washington state Rep. Mia Gregerson during a launch event for the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator at the Boeing Future of Flight in Mukilteo, Washington, on Jan. 8, 2026. 

A future research facility at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. will be the centerpiece of the new Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator, a coalition of Boeing, Alaska Airlines, and Washington state and local leaders that aims to develop a Pacific Northwest supply chain for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The big picture: The coalition will focus on ways to increase regional production and use of SAF. Made from materials including cooking oil and agricultural and industrial waste, SAF reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.

  • The coalition, announced at the Boeing Future of Flight in Mukilteo, Wash. Jan. 8, is supported by $10 million in state funding matched by private donations.

Why it matters: Demand for commercial aviation continues to grow globally, powering economies, tourism and trade.

  • Boeing and its employees support industry goals for responsible growth by designing and building more fuel-efficient airplanes, while working with regional and global partners to increase SAF production and reduce its cost.

What they’re saying: “For the last six decades in Snohomish County, Boeing has relied on strong community partnerships to turn ambitious ideas into reality,” said Bill McSherry, Boeing vice president of Government Operations. “This research facility and Center of Excellence is a concrete example of that collaboration.”

  • “Sustainable aviation fuel puts the Cascadia region at the forefront of the next major chapter of the clean energy transition," said Bob Ferguson, Washington state governor.