This bill expands certain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants and programs to include research and projects to increase the use of hydrogen in the aviation sector.
Specifically, the bill expands eligible airport development activities under the FAA's Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to include acquiring land for, or work necessary for, constructing or improving an airport, airport facilities, or property in the vicinity of an airport to store and distribute hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, or electrification to power aircraft.
The bill also expands the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Program (a public-private partnership program between the FAA and the aviation industry to develop and test certifiable aircraft, engine technologies, and jet fuels with less noise, fewer emissions, and improved fuel efficiency) to include the development and testing of hydrogen and batteries for aircraft.
In addition, the Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment (ASCENT) must conduct research on hydrogen to increase aviation decarbonization. Such research must be in addition to any other research authorized to be carried out by the center, including other hydrogen-related research. (ASCENT is a cooperative aviation research organization co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the FAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Transport Canada.)
