December 10, 2020

Cárdenas, Eshoo, Burgess, Kinzinger Introduce Legislation to Encourage Investment in Clean Aviation Technology

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29), Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18), Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX-26), and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16) introduced the ATVM Modernization Act. This legislation would incentivize clean, environmentally friendly aviation technology development by expanding eligibility under the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program to include American-made, energy-efficient aircraft.

“Climate change is a very real existential threat to our national security and economy,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “We must curb our dependence on dirty fossil fuels and invest in cleaner, efficient technology so that we reduce our carbon footprint. As more and more people rely on air travel, the contribution of aircraft to global gas emissions will increase at a commensurate rate which is why we must incentivize companies to invest in energy-efficient technology. My commonsense bipartisan bill will encourage the development of cleaner, fuel-efficient aircraft.”

“The federal government played a critical role in bringing electric vehicle manufacturing to the U.S., and the ATVM Modernization Act will build on this record of success by fostering innovation in clean aviation technology,” Rep. Eshoo said. “This legislation creates a win for our economy and our environment by supporting advanced manufacturing jobs, reducing carbon emissions, and continuing American leadership in clean energy innovation and the aviation sector.”

“Americans are gravitating toward clean energy technologies. It is important that Congress provides sensible and thoughtful solutions to ensure continued innovation. This legislation will help foster electric vehicle startups, including electric airplanes, by providing them the resources they need to get off the ground. This same loan program can be attributed for the success of electric automobiles and will expand to other modes of transportation. I hope others will join in supporting this bipartisan cause. Ultimately it is the marketplace that will determine the value of new technologies,” said Congressman Burgess, M.D.

“The United States leads the world in research, development, and innovation, but continues to be a net importer of advanced technology products,” said Congressman Kinzinger. “The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program is designed to steer American innovation and ingenuity into real-world manufacturing capabilities, thereby creating jobs and benefiting the environment. While the program has shown success in the past by fueling the advanced automobile manufacturing sectors, it still has billions of dollars in loan authority. It’s time to put that money to good use for the next wave of advanced transportation technologies, including those in aviation—and that’s what our bill aims to do.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aircraft contribute 12 percent of U.S. transportation emissions and account for three percent of the nation's total greenhouse gas production. Globally, aviation produced 2.4 percent of total CO2 emissions in 2018. Aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change.

This bill has been endorsed by: Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, Kitty Hawk Corporation, Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group, Uber Technologies, Rolls-Royce North America, Inc.

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