PORT AUTHORITY AND THE NEW TERMINAL ONE CONSORTIUM KICK OFF CONSTRUCTION OF NEW YORK CITY'S LARGEST SOLAR ARRAY AT JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

News provided by

Sep 24, 2024, 06:00 ET

2024 Climate Week NYC Marks Start of Work to Build 12-Megawatt Energy System to Help Sustainably Power JFK's New Terminal One; Unique Resilient Design Will Provide Electricity for New Terminal's Daily Operations

Massive Array of 13,000 Solar Panels on Terminal Roof to Cover Area Spanning Nearly Seven Football Fields; Largest Solar Array at Any Airport Terminal in the Country

Industry Leader AlphaStruxure to Design, Build and Operate Energy System, Contributing to Port Authority's Mission to Reach Net-Zero Emissions by 2050

Renderings Available Here

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New Terminal One consortium that was selected to design, build and operate the new terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) announced today during Climate Week NYC that construction has begun on a massive solar array of more than 13,000 solar panels on the terminal's roof that will cover an area the size of six and a half football fields. The Terminal One solar array will be the largest in New York City and the largest at any airport terminal in the country.

The New Terminal One at JFK logo

As an all-international terminal, the New Terminal One is a key component of the Port Authority's $19 billion transformation of JFK into a world-class global gateway that will include two new terminals with evocative public art and locally inspired retail options, two expanded and modernized terminals and an entirely new, efficient roadway network when complete.

The 6.63 megawatts of solar array on the terminal's roof is part of a 12-megawatt microgrid that will distribute electric energy from solar, fuel cells and batteries through a localized and self-contained energy system that can operate independently from or connected to the main power grid. This microgrid will also include 3.84 megawatts of fuel cells and 1.5 megawatts/3.34 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage, all of which will be located in four clusters of electrical generation infrastructure strategically placed around the new terminal to create a single smart, resilient energy system. It will provide power for the terminal's daily operations.

"When the new terminal is complete, it will be the largest terminal at Kennedy Airport, so we are particularly pleased to incorporate on-site power using a green energy source into the design of the terminal," said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. "We have made sustainability a major priority at our facilities, and this massive solar array is a unique and innovative solution that reduces our carbon footprint and continues our march towards net zero."

"This construction milestone in our redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport represents more than progress at one of our facilities because its success will set an industry example for others," said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole. "On-site green energy development such as the country's largest airport solar array will reduce the generation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change at the New Terminal One."

"Breaking ground on this first-of-its-kind microgrid solution is a major and exciting milestone in New Terminal One's commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and setting a new industry standard on sustainability," said Jennifer Aument, CEO of New Terminal One. "This resilient and efficient energy solution will simultaneously enable us to decarbonize, drive innovation, and deliver lasting benefits to both our passengers and our community."

"When it comes to energy, airports are facing a perfect storm: More passengers, more electrification, more outages, and more power capacity bumping up against aging energy infrastructure that's less and less able to keep up," said Juan Macias, CEO of AlphaStruxure. "JFK's New Terminal One is building sustainable energy infrastructure at the speed and scale necessary to stay ahead of these challenges. We're thrilled to provide an integrated microgrid solution via Energy as a Service that not only provides resilience for New Terminal One passengers, but advances the city, state and Port Authority's ambitious decarbonization goals."

The microgrid will recover heat from the fuel cells to generate chilled water and hot water for the terminal. Its capacity generates enough electricity to power half of the everyday operations of the terminal, or roughly the energy to power more than 3,500 average U.S. homes. AlphaStruxure is financing the microgrid project through an Energy as a Service (EaaS) contract, which is a long-term agreement ensuring predictable operating costs and guaranteed performance without upfront capital expenditures to neither the Port Authority nor New Terminal One. AlphaStruxure is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the microgrid over the life of the contract.

The clean technology aligns with the Port Authority's aggressive sustainability goals, which includes reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and requiring greener operations by its business partners, such as airport terminal operators and airlines. The Port Authority, in partnership with the New York Power Authority, also is constructing a 12-megawatt solar canopy at JFK's long-term parking lot 9 that will consist of 7.5 megawatts of battery storage for airport peak energy use and a 6-megawatt community solar generation facility, as well as provide covered parking for 3,000 vehicles. Other solar projects at Port Authority facilities include a 5-megawatt solar parking canopy at Newark Liberty International Airport, a 1.5-megawatt rooftop solar array on LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B garage, and a 600-kilowatt solar roof on a PATH warehouse rooftop.

The New Terminal One microgrid will be especially resilient due to its novel design of clustered architecture consisting of four so-called power islands. Each power island functions as a hyper-localized, self-sufficient energy system with sources of generation, storage, and advanced automation and control. When one island is taken down for routine maintenance, the other three can remain online. The microgrid's ability to provide half of the terminal's own electrical needs helps to mitigate impact of a regional grid blackout on airport operations, which could lead to substantial delays for airline passengers.

The New Terminal One rooftop solar canopy will be the largest such solar array at any U.S. airport, providing a valuable case study for both the aviation and solar energy industries due to federal requirements to mitigate glare. The unique design of the clustered power islands also may serve as a case study for other airports with limited space or busy operations but want to add scalable on-site green power generation.

Project partners include AlphaStruxure's two parent companies, Schneider Electric and Carlyle. Schneider is delivering leading microgrid technology, controls, software, and services, while Carlyle is providing financing for the microgrid. Other project partners include Burns, serving as owner's engineer on the project; E-J Electric Installation Co. as the design-builder; Vanderweil Engineers as the engineer of record; BOND Civil & Utility Construction as the mechanical contractor; and HyAxiom, a Doosan company, as the provider of fuel cells and their maintenance.

Construction of the microgrid will support almost 100 local jobs, through AlphaStruxure's design-builder partner E-J Electric Installation Co. Headquartered in Queens, E-J Electric will source all labor through local unions affiliated with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

Transforming JFK Into a World-Class Global Gateway
In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced to transform John F. Kennedy International Airport into the world-class airport that New Yorkers deserve. The vision plan provides a strategic framework for the Port Authority and its partners to completely redevelop, modify and expand existing facilities and infrastructure. The $9.5 billion development of a state-of-the-art New Terminal One that will anchor the airport's south side broke ground in September 2022. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal, is now under construction. The new Terminal 6 builds on the momentum of the other three major components of the airport's transformation already underway. Additionally, the $400 million modernization and expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, and British Airways was substantially completed in November 2022.

All the privately financed terminal projects combined with the Port Authority's roadway, parking and infrastructure projects represent a $19 billion transformation of JFK International Airport and an extraordinary series of public-private partnerships. The Port Authority capital investment of $3.9 billion is leveraging private investment at a rate of nearly four to one when taking into account the full private investment of more than $15 bn that has been committed to the four projects comprising the full JFK redevelopment program.

About John F. Kennedy International Airport's The New Terminal One
The New Terminal One is being built on sites now occupied by JFK's Terminal 1, the recently closed Terminal 2, and the former Terminal 3, where it will anchor the international airport's south side. Construction is taking place in phases. The first phase, including the new arrivals and departures halls and first set of 14 new gates, is expected to open in 2026.

At completion, which is anticipated in 2030, the New Terminal One will be 2.6 million square feet, making it the largest terminal at JFK and nearly the same size as LaGuardia Airport's two new terminals combined. New Terminal One will be a state-of-the-art international-only terminal with 23 gates. Sustainably designed and future-focused, the terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology and an array of amenities, all designed to enhance the customer experience and compete with some of the highest-rated airport terminals in the world.

The New Terminal One consortium of labor, operating, and financial partners is led by Ferrovial, JLC Infrastructure, Ullico and Carlyle. New Terminal One is being built by union labor and the consortium is committed to local inclusion and labor participation, focusing on diversity and capacity-building opportunities, including ambitious goals for creating opportunities for MWBEs and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (SDVOB). More information on the New Terminal One project is available here.

About AlphaStruxure
AlphaStruxure is a leading Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider and microgrid integrator. Its purpose is to decarbonize energy infrastructure at speed and scale. It does so by helping public- and private-sector organizations achieve ambitious, tailored energy transformations — without the capital expenditure or complexity. AlphaStruxure designs, finances, builds, owns, operates and maintains energy infrastructure, including microgrids, to deliver emissions reductions, reliability, and resilience. Its projects include two of the largest transit microgrids in the U.S. and a microgrid for John F. Kennedy International Airport's New Terminal One. Unlike other EaaS providers, AlphaStruxure owns its clients' systems for the entire lifecycle, making the company accountable to long-term guarantees on pricing and performance. AlphaStruxure's joint-venture model harnesses Carlyle's expertise in financing large-scale energy infrastructure projects and Schneider Electric's 185+ year legacy of energy innovation, with more than 350 successful microgrid projects across North America. AlphaStruxure is based in Boston, Mass., operates across North America, and leverages global capabilities. Learn more about the company at alphastruxure.com.

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 $9.3 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.