FAA invests nearly $92 million to accelerate airports to Net Zero 2050

Airports across the country are more sustainable thanks to funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. CREDIT: FAA

Airports across the U.S. are set to become more sustainable thanks to funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 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; investments that support good-paying jobs and their local communities. Also, as a part of this sustainability effort, the agency is providing funding to help general aviation airports safely transition to unleaded fuel for piston-engine aircraft.

“We need to help airports transition their operations as quickly as possible to renewable power. Our investments keeps us on track for the net-zero goal,” said Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., Associate Administrator for Airports. 

Solar Power

$46.8 million of FAA’s 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 by the FAA has been awarded to airports to plan for and purchase electric vehicles 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 electric vehicle 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 electric vehicles with chargers.

Unleaded Fuel

To safely eliminate leaded aviation fuels in piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030, Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona will receive $243,000 to develop a plan to safely transition to unleaded fuel.

In its Aviation Climate Action Plan, the United States set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector by 2050. To help to achieve this goal, the FAA has awarded:

• $100 million to research and scale fuel-saving technologies and noise reductions
• $327 million to electrify airport gate equipment and vehicles
• $35 million for universities to help build sustainable aviation fuel supply chains and develop new software capability to reduce fuel burn and taxi time.