The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded $20.4 million in grants to reduce emissions and improve air quality at airports across the country. The awards will fund zero-emission airport vehicles, including their electric charging infrastructure, and will electrify the ramp equipment used to service planes at the gate.
“Transportation might be the biggest emitter of CO2, but that means we have the opportunity to be a big part of the solution,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “These grants put us on the right path to build a more sustainable aviation system.”
The White House and multiple federal agencies—including the Energy Department, Agriculture Department, the FAA and NASA—plan to hold a virtual roundtable with public and private sectors leaders on the path to decarbonizing the aviation sector. The event will emphasize the importance of collaboration across the government and industry to accomplish ambitious goals to put aviation on a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050 in line with broader climate commitments of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Today’s announcement includes $5.9 million to purchase zero-emission vehicles. These grants are 100 percent funded by the FAA with $4.5 million from the agency’s Zero-Emissions Vehicle program and $1.4 million from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act. They include:
- John Wayne/Orange County, Santa Ana, Calif.: $1 million, for a 35-foot electric shuttle bus and charging station.
- Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, Ind.: $956,640, for two 25-foot electric shuttle buses and charging stations.
- Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, N.C.: $3.9 million, for a fleet of five 35-foot electric shuttle buses.
- Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, Springfield, Ohio: $46,518, for one electric vehicle and charging station.
Another $14.5 million will be used to reduce airport and ramp equipment emissions. Several grants will electrify portable cooling units that provide air conditioning while planes are parked at the gate. The FAA is paying for 100 percent of these projects this year, with $11.2 million in Voluntary Airport Low Emission environmental set-aside funds and $3.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. They include:
- Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma Airport, Santa Rosa, Calif.: $220,411, for two mobile ground power units (GPUs) that connect to the electrical system of an aircraft while on the ground to provide power.
- San Diego International Airport, San Diego, Calif.: $3.9 million, to purchase and install 39 dual-port charging stations for electric ground support equipment that service aircraft between flights.
- Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho: $1 million, to purchase and install two pre-conditioned air units that provide temperature-controlled air (PCA) inside an aircraft when the aircraft’s own air conditioning system is off when the aircraft engines are turned off.
- Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne, Ind.: $376,213, to purchase and install three PCA units and two GPUs.
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, Mo.: $1.3 million, to purchase and install three PCA units and three GPUs.
- Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, Pa.: $2.8 million, to purchase and install 11 PCA units.
- Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pa.: $4.6 million, to purchase and install 18 PCAs.
- Washington Dulles International Airport, Dulles, Va.: $61,838, for one electric multi-use vehicle and charging station.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, Va.: $61,838, for one electric multi-use vehicle and charging station.
