FAA invests $92 million in aviation sector to accomplish net zero targets in this field by 2050.
The mentioned investment is a part of a $268 million in grants. The $92 million will fund 21 airports to transition their infrastructure and facilities to meet net zero goal in time. Additionally, as part of this sustainability initiative, the government is subsidizing the shift to unleaded fuel for piston-engine aircraft at general aviation airports.
FAA Solar Power funding
Of the mentioned funding, approx. $46.8 million have been set aside by FAA for important sustainability projects. Most of the solar projects involve –
- Installing solar panels
- $22.58 million to Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana
- $3 million to El Paso International Airport in Texas
- $600,000 to Southeast Iowa Regional Airport in Burlington
- $333,450 to La Porte Municipal Airport in Indiana
- $150,000 to Centerville Municipal Airport in Iowa and
- $150,000 Decorah Municipal Airport in Iowa.
- Construction of energy efficient infrastructure
Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana.
- Solar parking structure
$20 million to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona.
FAA electric funding
Additionally, FAA has dispensed approx. $44.5 million to airports to add electrification of some general facilities used mostly at airports. It is to be used for acquiring electric vehicles and electric transportation infrastructure.
These are as follows –
- Purchase electric buses and charging stations
$4.8 million to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
$3.1 million to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah
$5.1 million to San Francisco International Airport in California
- Purchase electric vehicle with chargers
$590,000 to Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport in Little Rock
$154,000 to Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Montana
- Purchase electric buses
$3.2 million to Sacramento International Airport in California
$1.5 million to Kansas City International Airport in Missouri
- Purchase zero emissions vehicles and charging stations
$3.4 million to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina
$2 million to McGhee Tyson Airport in Tennessee
$300,000 to Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Construct zero emissions vehicle infrastructure
$16 million to Portland International Airport in Oregon
- Purchase zero emission vehicle and infrastructure
$3 million to Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania
- Construct electric vehicle charging infrastructure
$1.1 million to San Diego International Airport in California
More funding for unleaded fuel
Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona will get $243,000 to create a plan to properly transition to unleaded fuel. This is to make sure to safely eliminate leaded aviation fuels in piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030.
To accomplish goals set in the Aviation Climate Action Plan by U.S., FAA awarded –
- $100 million to research and scale fuel-saving technologies and noise reductions;
- $327 million to electrify airport gate equipment and vehicles; and
- $35 million for universities to help build sustainable aviation fuel supply chains and develop new software capability to reduce fuel burn and taxi time.
The funding is a part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Supplement Grant Program.
