The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded funding to help make airports across the country more sustainable. As part of nearly $268 million in grants, about $92 million will go to 21 airports for solar panels, electric buses, charging stations, and electrification studies.
The funding is part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Supplemental Grant Program. It also aims to help airports meet the federal Aviation Climate Action Plan, which set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. aviation sector by 2050.
“We need to help airports transition their operations as quickly as possible to renewable power. Our investments keep us on track for the net-zero goal,” said Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., the FAA’s associate administrator for airports.
Solar Power
$46.8 million of the funding will go to key sustainability projects, including energy-saving solar power equipment and infrastructure:
- $22.58 million to Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana to construct energy efficient infrastructure and install solar panels.
- $20 million to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona to design and construct solar parking structures.
- $3 million to El Paso International Airport in Texas to install solar panels.
- $600,000 to Southeast Iowa Regional Airport in Burlington to install solar panels.
- $333,450 to La Porte Municipal Airport in Indiana to install solar panels.
- $150,000 to Centerville Municipal Airport in Iowa to install solar panels.
- $150,000 Decorah Municipal Airport in Iowa to install solar panels.
Electrification
An additional $44.5 million has been awarded to airports to plan for and purchase electric vehicles (EVs) and electric transportation infrastructure:
- $16 million to Portland International Airport in Oregon to construct zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure.
- $4.8 million to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to purchase electric buses and charging stations.
- $3.4 million to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina to purchase zero-emissions vehicles and charging stations.
- $3.2 million to Sacramento International Airport in California to purchase electric buses.
- $3.1 million to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah to purchase electric buses and charging stations.
- $5.1 million to San Francisco International Airport in California to purchase electric buses and charging stations.
- $3 million to Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania to purchase zero-emissions vehicles and associated infrastructure.
- $2 million to McGhee Tyson Airport in Tennessee to purchase zero-emissions vehicles and charging stations.
- $1.5 million to Kansas City International Airport in Missouri to purchase electric buses.
- $1.1 million to San Diego International Airport in California to construct EV charging infrastructure.
- $300,000 to Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan to purchase zero-emissions vehicles and charging stations.
- $590,000 to Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport in Little Rock to purchase electric buses with chargers.
- $154,000 to Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Montana to purchase EVs with chargers.
As part of the funding, the FAA also awarded Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona $243,000 to develop a plan to safely eliminate leaded aviation fuels in piston-engine aircraft.
More information about the FAA’s sustainability efforts is available here.
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