Project Traits
State: Montana
Congressional District: MT02
Organization Type: Commercial
Partner Organization(s) Type: None or Unknown
Energy Sector: Transportation,
Energy Subsector: Sustainable Aviation Fuels,
Project Start Year: Unknown
Project Launch Year: Unknown
Government Support Received: Federal Loan [Department of Energy Loan Program Office] for $1,440,000,000
Outcomes & Impacts
Private Investment: Unknown
Jobs Announced or Created: Unknown
People Served: Unknown
Projected Economic Impact: Unknown
The manufacturer Calumet said the funding process is back on track for its subsidiary, Montana Renewables, which plans to expand its biofuels facility in Great Falls, Montana. The company currently makes fuel for planes and trucks using seed oils and discarded animal fats. With the expansion, the refinery will be able to produce about 315 million gallons per year, most of which will be sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana) said the DOE moved ahead with the Montana Renewables loan guarantee only after he pressed the White House to do so, Reuters reported. Daines said the Biden-backed SAF refinery supports Trump’s goal of “energy dominance” — though the senator has previously described Biden’s climate policies as a “radical anti-energy agenda.”
The SAF project’s approval “really highlights the fact that these clean-energy investments are so important for rural communities, especially when we’re talking about clean fuels,” said Alexander Laska, the deputy director for transportation and innovation at Third Way, a center-left think tank.