SCHUMER, TONKO ANNOUNCE $3.3+ MILLION FOR WRIGHT ELECTRIC IN THE CAPITAL REGION TO SUPERCHARGE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BATTERIES FOR ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT FLIGHTS VIA THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
Schumer-Led Inflation Reduction Act Secured Resources To Develop Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Created FAA’s Fueling Aviation's Sustainable Transition (FAST) Grant Program, Which Will Energize Malta-Based Wright Electric To Develop Cutting-Edge Batteries For Electric Airplanes
Schumer, Tonko: New Fed $$ Will Spark Innovation And Help Cutting-Edge Research At Wright Electric In Malta Take Flight!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko today applauded Wright Electric based in Malta, NY being awarded $3,342,094 for its new Ultra-High-Energy Battery Project to research & develop a new class of batteries for zero-emission electric passenger aircraft. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Fueling Aviation's Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant program, funded via the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Thanks to the historic clean-energy investments we made in the Inflation Reduction Act, over $3 million is headed to the Malta-based Wright Electric to spark innovation, boost good-paying jobs and help research into electric aircraft take flight,” said Senator Schumer. “The airline industry is one of the major sources of carbon emissions and innovative projects like this will help America stay on the cutting edge all while helping fight climate change and spurring economic growth in the Capital Region. With targeted federal investment and pioneering companies like Wright Electric helping lead the charge, the sky is the limit.”
“As one of the leading advocates in Congress for innovation and the advancement of clean energy technologies, I’m thrilled to see Malta’s own Wright Electric receive this significant infusion of federal funding. This grant, one of just 36 awarded nationwide through the FAA FAST program, will deliver $3.34 million to advance Wright’s groundbreaking work on ultra-lightweight batteries for use on commercial passenger flights. When I visited their facility in 2022, I was deeply impressed by their commitment to pioneering zero-emission regional flights, and I’ve been proud in recent years to support their efforts to secure new federal investments. This award represents a critical step forward for Wright Electric and for our Capital Region, as we continue to lead the nation in the fight against climate change. Going forward, I’m eager to keep working alongside local companies to find innovative solutions to combat our climate crisis,” said Congressman Tonko.
Wright Electronics is a Malta-based company dedicated to developing electric aircraft to make all regional, single-aisle flights zero emissions. Its Ultra High Energy Battery Project will boost their ongoing research into new, highly energy-dense batteries. The goal is to produce batteries that will hold more energy per pound of weight than the best electric car batteries. Wright is focusing on large passenger aircraft because the 100+ passenger aircraft market accounts for more than 90% of the carbon emissions of the aerospace industry. Wright Electric is collaborating with NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense to build batteries that are compatible with these aircraft.
The Schumer-led Inflation Reduction Act helped increase investment in clean energy research to help America stay on the leading edge of fields such as manufacturing, transportation, and energy, and develop new technology needed to both combat the climate crisis and ensure the future of this technology is made in America. The FAA’s Fueling Aviation's Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant program is providing $291 million in federal grant funding to create infrastructure projects related to producing sustainable aviation fuels and developing new aviation technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The projects will help the U.S. achieve its aviation climate goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“When Wright Electric was founded in 2016, the idea of a battery that would allow aircraft to fly regional routes with reserves seemed like a fantasy to most people,” says Jeff Engler, CEO at Wright Electric. “Now, we are one of several companies with a viable path toward a technology that will enable regional aircraft flights entirely on battery power.”
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