Indy, La Porte airports receive FAA clean energy grants
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The Indianapolis International Airport is set to receive the largest allotment of Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program funding at $22.58 million.
The investment will be used to build the airport’s new energy-efficient infrastructure, including solar panels. The $92 million of total FAA grants is part of President Joe Biden’s long-term net zero emissions by 2050.
The La Porte Municipal Airport also received $333,450 to install solar panels.
The Indianapolis airport has established a plan aligning with that overarching goal. The grant will fund 25% of a transition to renewable energy generated on-site, including backup battery storage.
The solar panels will be installed on a new metal canopy near the surface parking lot areas around the terminal. The airport is already home to 183 acres with 87,478 solar panels. This move can power 3,675 average American homes per year, improve the community’s air quality and lower operating costs.
The airport says it will also commence a $190 million runway and taxiway reconstruction project that will construct the first-ever FAA-approved use of carbon capture technology in the pavement.
“We’re committed to environmental sustainability, minimizing the impact of airport operations on the environment, and we’re doing that by exploring continuous improvements and opportunities for innovation,” IAA Executive Director Mario Rodriguez said in a news release.