Pittsburgh International Airport is the First in the World to be Completely Powered by Natural Gas and Solar

(Pittsburgh International Airport has installed more than 9,000 solar panels as part of its new microgrid. Credit: PIT)

by | Jul 14, 2021

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(Pittsburgh International Airport has installed more than 9,000 solar panels as part of its new microgrid. Credit: PIT)

Today, Pittsburgh International Airport became the first airport in the world to be completely powered by natural gas and solar energy as part of its newly live microgrid. The first-of-its kind microgrid increases resilience and maximizes public safety and makes PIT one of the most site-hardened airports in the world.

This is the second major piece of news this week regarding airports and sustainability. Just yesterday, JetBlue expanded its use of sustainable aviation fuel at Los Angeles International Airport. Airports across the country have been exploring ways to increase power resilience and reliability after several high-profile power outages resulted in thousands of cancelled flights and passenger disruptions. PIT is hoping to become the smartest airport in the world through its new terminal project, which implements smart power infrastructure.

The power generated at PIT is the primary supply for the entire airport, including the terminals, airfield, Hyatt hotel, and Sunoco. The airport will remain connected to the traditional electrical grid as an option for emergency or backup power if needed. The microgrid will generate power, in part, through onsite natural gas wells and 9,360 solar panels across eight acres.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority Board of Directors in 2019 awarded Peoples Natural Gas a 20-year contract to build, maintain and operate the microgrid at no cost to the airport. In addition to boosting power resiliency and redundancy, the microgrid will achieve savings on electricity costs for the airport and tenants.

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