Rendering image courtesy of TotalEnergies
Parking Lot Canopy with Solar Panels and Accompanying Battery Storage System Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Approximately 6,000 Metric Tons Annually
The 12-Megawatt Solar Project will Reduce Airport Energy Use at Peak Hours and Support the Port Authority’s 2050 Net-Zero Goal Across the Agency
In Addition to Supplying Power to JFK, Nearby Low-Income Communities will Benefit with Discounted Clean Energy Produced by the Airport Solar Project
TotalEnergies, World’s Leading Solar Power Developer, to Build, Own and Operate JFK’s Solar Carport Project
Project will be Constructed by a Public-Private Partnership with Upfront Construction Costs Entirely Provided by Private Partner
Construction will Adhere to Port Authority’s Goal of 30 Percent Participation by MWBE Firms
Groundbreaking Images Available Here; Video Available Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York Power Authority began construction of New York State’s largest onsite solar plus storage project: a solar carport canopy at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Once operational, the solar carport project will generate electricity to help power the AirTrain and to reduce electricity costs for residents of low-income neighborhoods in Queens. 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.
“We are breaking ground on a game-changing solar project, which will give power to the AirTrain and support thousands of families in Queens,” Governor Hochul said. “Supporting local minority- and women-owned businesses, this project will deepen our investment in the community while pushing forward New York’s nation-leading climate goals.”
The Port Authority, in partnership with the New York Power Authority, has contracted TotalEnergies, a global leader in solar power, to build and operate the JFK International Airport solar project. 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 – and will contribute substantially to the Port Authority’s goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the agency’s facilities by 2050. Additionally, the project will enable designated low-income communities in Queens to support clean energy and to save on their utility bills.
Governor Hochul cited the JFK solar carport and battery storage project in her 2024 State of the State message as an example of New York’s transformative infrastructure projects. The JFK solar carport is also consistent with the Governor’s climate agenda, which calls for a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in a way that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that a robust share of clean energy investments is directed to disadvantaged communities. As with all Port Authority capital projects, development of the solar carport will adhere to the 30 percent goal for participation by minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
The project will be built in two phases. Phase 1 will deliver energy to the airport starting in March 2025. Phase 2 is the community solar project and will deliver energy to Con Edison for the surrounding community beginning in April 2026. Through the NYS Community Distributed Generation Program, the project will provide guaranteed electric bill savings for 25 years to historically disadvantaged and environmentally impacted households. The community benefit addresses the disparity in access to clean energy among lower-income communities. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, households that have difficulty paying their energy bills also typically face higher energy costs – about 20 percent higher per square foot than the national average.
The project is a significant milestone for the Port Authority’s industry-leading sustainability agenda. On-site solar and other renewable energy initiatives are among seven key areas that the agency’s overall sustainability program encompasses, along with clean electric vehicles; energy efficiency; “green” facilities; clean ship practices for ocean-going vessels; offshore wind and partnering to combat climate change.
A variety of solar projects are currently in operation across Port Authority facilities, including a 5-MW solar parking canopy at Newark Airport, a 1.5-MW rooftop solar array on LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B garage, and a 600-kilowatt solar roof on a PATH warehouse rooftop. Additional solar projects are planned at JFK airport, where construction of a new Terminal 1 and a new Terminal 6 will include rooftop arrays of solar panels that will generate power at the airport.
NYPA is also implementing a $4 million project for the Port Authority that includes the installation of energy efficient LED fixtures throughout the airport’s Hangar 19 and the replacement of the AirTrain’s track heater controls that will allow Port Authority to remotely monitor and control track heaters at every AirTrain station, including at the Jamaica station in Queens. The measures will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 960 metric tons. Sixteen electric vehicle chargers are also being installed for Delta to power plane tugs and baggage loaders. An earlier project completed 120 chargers at Terminal 5 for Jet Blue fleets.
About the Port Authority
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, more sustainable, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. As part of its ambition to get to net-zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a world class cost-competitive portfolio combining renewables (solar, onshore and offshore wind) and flexible assets (CCGT, storage) to deliver clean firm power to its customers. At the end of 2023, TotalEnergies’ gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity was 22 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW in 2025 and more than 100 TWh of net electricity production by 2030.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.
