Pittsburgh International first airport in world powered only by natural gas and solar energy

Solar panels at Pittsburgh International Airport
Solar panels at Pittsburgh International Airport Photo credit Shelby Cassesse

The Pittsburgh airport is now the only airport in the world completely powered by natural gas and solar energy.

The airport earned the designation as its first of its kind microgrid went live.

Located near the airport, the microgrid is made of nearly 10,000 solar panels across eight acres.

Airport CEO Christina Cassotis said, "This is taking the assets of this community and saying 'how do we put them to work in a way that puts us and their partners on a global stage?'"

Construction started one year ago and wrapped on schedule.

Peoples Natural Gas will maintain and operate the microgrid at no cost to the airport.

Officials say the microgrid boosts sustainability and maximizes public safety at the airport.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says it's also an economic win because it will "Lower costs to be able to attract businesses and manufacturing and all of the other businesses that locate on our almost 9,000 acres property here at the airport, but also, to be able to provide lower costs for our flying passengers."

Congressman Conor Lamb was among the officials near the microgrid as it went live today.

"This gives us energy independence. It helps insulate us from the effects of all these terrible things that can come in the future" and will keep the airport online," said Lamb. "The other thing it does is we're gonna learn something from this process."

It is now the primary power supply for the airport, its hotel and the nearby Sunoco gas station.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shelby Cassesse