IMG Constructing New 4.7-MW Solar at Microgrid-Friendly Pittsburgh Airport

    April 29, 2025
    The airport will partner with utility Duquesne Light Co. and developer IMG Energy Solutions to expand its solar field as part of site energy innovation plans. The expansion will add 11,216 high-efficiency solar panels.
    Image credit Blue Sky News/Pittsburgh International Airport
    681110cb8f1508e4f43aca8d Blue Sky News Pia

    Pittsburgh International Airport, home to one of the nation’s best-known airport microgrids and distributed energy projects, now plans to double its solar power footprint.

    The airport will partner with utility Duquesne Light Co. and developer IMG Energy Solutions to expand its solar field as part of site energy innovation plans. The expansion will add 11,216 high-efficiency solar panels to enable an additional 4.7 MW of photovoltaic power capacity.

    In 2021, Pittsburgh International Airport celebrated commissioning of its own airport microgrid, centered by a 23-MW gas-fired gen-set and solar combination. The microgrid was never owned by the airport but originally by Essential Utilities and now is owned by Cordia. Jennbacher gas-fired gen-sets powered the microgrid which supported the airport’s main campus, while solar energy capacity, which is owned and operated by IMG, was separated and autonomous to energize nearly two dozen meters on the airport grounds and sell back into the PJM Interconnection transmission grid.

    The new solar expansion, which will be adjacent to the existing arrays close to the airport’s exit from I-376, is expected to be completed and operational by 2027.

    The Pittsburgh International Airport microgrid preceded several high-profile airport microgrid projects lately, including the massive JFK International Airport microgrid development under construction in New York.

    “Pittsburgh International Airport is an energy leader, and we are thrilled to partner with Duquesne Light Company and IMG for this important regional project,” said Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis in a statement. “We are maximizing the use of airport assets for the betterment of the region – from air service to real estate development to energy innovation and there’s more to come.”

    One hundred percent of the new solar output will be interconnected and delivered into the Duquesne Light Co. (DLC) distribution grid. IMG will also own and operate the solar expansion.

    “DLC is thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking project that highlights the vision of Pittsburgh International Airport as well as the strength of public-private partnerships in delivering meaningful progress for the Pittsburgh region,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Duquesne Light Co. “By expanding access to clean energy for local homes and businesses, we’re helping to drive economic growth and bringing to life our vision of a more sustainable future for all. This project represents an important step in delivering more renewable energy to our communities, friends and neighbors.”

    The original microgrid, built at no cost to the airport, is interconnected to the PJM grid, although it can operate in island mode under a grid outage scenario. This proof of concept, however, went through a few challenges along the way.

    As part as its multi-resource path toward decarbonization, the Pittsburgh International Airport announced last year it was partnering with KeyState Energy and CNX Resources to develop a $1.5 billion hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel production facility on the airport’s property.

    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Managing Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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