A study on low-carbon aviation fuels in the United States : economic potential and challenges facing consumer awareness and favorability

Abstract

This is a study of consumer perception and willingness to pay a premium for low-carbon aviation fuels. Commercial aviation is among the fastest growing contributors to anthropogenic climate change and low-carbon drop-in fuels are among the technologies with potential to address this issue. This thesis includes an introduction of concept, an economic evaluation of the marketplace, applications of relevant academic theory, a description of research method, (an online survey distributed to an anonymous and broad cohort) as well as results and conclusions. Study participants had their awareness of low-carbon drop-in fuels and willingness to pay a ticket surcharge for these fuels evaluated at baseline and after exposure to information about the environmental impact of aviation and the potential for low-carbon fuels to ameliorate this impact. The results of the study were that willingness to pay increased by a statistically significant amount post-exposure, confirming the authors hypothesis with regard to the research question. Keywords: Biofuels, Low-carbon drop-in fuels, Aviation, U.S., Transport, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction