Indianapolis Airport receives $22 million sustainability grant

The grant will help fund energy efficient infrastructure to help meet the Biden Administration's goal of net-zero airports by 2050.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Airport Authority has announced it will receive a grant of $22.8 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help construct sustainable and energy efficient infrastructure. 

The FAA's Airport Improvement Program is investing a total of $92 million to help airports reach the Biden Administration's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. 

Indianapolis International Airport will use the funds to transition the terminal's electricity consumption to an on-site, renewable option. This will include installing solar panels atop a new metal canopy that will shelter surface parking lots.

“This is a huge win for the Indy airport, our environment and our community,” said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “We’re committed to environmental sustainability, minimizing the impact of airport operations on the environment, and we’re doing that by exploring continuous improvements and opportunities for innovation.”

The first phase of the transformation will reportedly meet 25% of the terminal's energy needs. Indianapolis International Airport is already home to one of the largest airport solar farms in the country, and the new funding will expedite the effort to reduce the airport's carbon footprint.

“With this newly FAA-funded project, the Indy airport will have on-site solar generation, which will help to reduce its carbon footprint and provide operational resiliency,” said Todd Cavender, director of environment and sustainability for the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

Additional solar panels aren't the only sustainable change coming. One effort to reduce carbon emissions is the installation of carbon capture technology in the pavement of the runway and taxiway. That project will use a technology called "CarbonCure," where recycled CO2 is introduced to fresh concrete, reducing its carbon footprint without compromising safety or operational performance. 

“We’re committed to positive carbon reductions, year over year, for our entire airport system so that we meet the long-term goal of net-zero by 2050,” Rodriguez said.