Pittsburgh International Airport(PIT) announces the expansion of its solar field in partnership with Duquesne Light Company(DLC) and IMG Energy Solutions under the power plant energy security scheme.
Duquesne Light’s expansion of the solar farm
This new project calls for the installation of 11,216 high-efficiency solar panels on a closed landfill adjacent to the I-376 freeway, adding an additional 12 acres to the eight in continuous operation.
With this expansion, the airport’s capacity will grow by 4.7 megawatts, resulting in an estimated reduction of five million pounds of carbon emissions annually. This clean energy will be fed into DLC’s regional grid, contributing to the energy improvement of southwestern Pennsylvania.
The initiative marks DLC’s first power purchase agreement (PPA), a model for securing electricity supply from renewable sources through long-term contracts. IMG Energy, a subsidiary of Liberty Energy, will own and operate the new facility, committing to deliver 100% of the electricity and its renewable credits to DLC.
This expansion complements the microgrid system inaugurated in 2021 by the airport, the first with the capacity to operate self-sufficiently with natural gas and solar energy. The integration of high-efficiency thermal generation and solar energy consolidates PIT as a benchmark in resilient energy infrastructure.
One of the special features of the project is the reuse of land that cannot be used for other purposes. By building the solar park the airport is taking advantage of a useless space to generate renewable energy without affecting other activities.
Regional leaders such as Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive, and Christina Cassotis, Executive Director of PIT, participated in the event, where they highlighted the value of the project in both environmental and economic terms. For its part, DLC remarked that this alliance boosts local economic growth and facilitates access to clean electricity for homes and businesses in the region.
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Fuente y foto: Duquesne Light
