The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the New York Power Authority have begun construction of a solar carport canopy and power storage project at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Located in the airport’s long-term parking lot 9, the JFK solar carport will be erected as a canopy, providing the added benefit of covered parking for 3,000 vehicles, while also generating electricity to help power the AirTrain and to reduce electricity costs for residents of low-income neighborhoods in Queens.
With enough solar panels to cover an area large enough for 11 football fields, the solar carport will generate approximately 12 megawatts of onsite power and will include a 6-megawatt community solar generation facility. The project will also include 7.5 megawatts of battery storage that will be used to help reduce airport energy use during peak periods.
When complete, the JFK solar carport will produce enough clean energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 6,000 tons annually – the greenhouse gas equivalent of 26 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.
“Building New York’s largest solar carport at JFK significantly advances the Port Authority’s goal of reducing our agency’s carbon footprint to net-zero while sharing the benefit of our historic investments at the airport with neighboring communities,” said Rick Cotton, PANYNJ executive director. “When complete, a fully transformed JFK will take its place as a world-class airport that is efficient, beautiful and sustainable.”
