JFK Airport parking lot to become biggest solar array in New York

NEW YORK — The future is looking sunny for Kennedy Airport’s long-term parking lot No. 9.

Construction began Tuesday on a solar array meant to cover some 21 acres of the lot while maintaining the car park beneath.

“If that sounds big, it is,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“It will be the largest solar carport and energy storage system anywhere in New York State.”

The array is expected to generate 12 megawatts of power when it’s completed in 2026. Cotton said that is expected to eliminate more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The project also includes roughly 7.5 megawatts of battery storage to keep power constant during periods of peak usage.

About half of the electricity generated by the system will go into powering JFK’s AirTrain, officials said, while the other half will go back into the grid.

That power will offset electricity costs for low-income households in the neighborhoods surrounding JFK for the next 25 years, officials said.

“The electricity generated … will be sold into ConEd’s local grid, improving the system’s resiliency and providing clean energy to the surrounding community,” said Justin Driscoll, CEO of the New York Power Authority.

“Additionally, bill credits generated will be offered to low-income housing providers, such as NYCHA, to reduce the cost of electric bills,” he added.

The array is being designed by energy firm TotalEnergies, which has also been contracted to operate the solar power operation for 25 years.

Port officials said the first phase of the project, which will deliver power to the airport, is expected to be completed by next March.

Phase 2, which involves connecting the solar array to the local grid in order to provide power to the surrounding community, is expected to be finished by April 2026.

Construction will be done on a rolling basis, Cotton said, and is not expected to disrupt long-term parking at the airport.

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