Energy as a Service (EaaS) solution provider AlphaStruxure will design, construct and operate an integrated microgrid infrastructure at the New Terminal One (NTO) at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York.
The 11.34MW microgrid will include 7.66MW of rooftop solar, 3.68MW of fuel cells and 2MW/4MWh of battery energy storage, and use reclaimed heat to generate chilled and hot water. The microgrid will consist of four power islands, with each island functioning as a local, integrated energy system with sources of generation, storage, advanced automation and control. The rooftop PV system will have over 13,000 solar panels – electricity generated by the solar array alone is enough to power the equivalent of 1,039 average US homes for a year.
The system’s performance will be managed by AlphaStruxure’s Integrate, a cyber-secure digital platform that works to improve microgrid operations by compiling and analyzing data across the on-site energy infrastructure. Operators will be available 24/7 to predict and respond to the system in real time through the AlphaStruxure network operations center. With an intelligent microgrid in place, the terminal will work toward eliminating power disruptions while maximizing distributed energy resources for resilience.
AlphaStruxure’s microgrid solution is designed to achieve New York State, City and PANYNJ’s sustainability mandates, and will contribute toward the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requiring 70% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2040. The microgrid is predicted to deliver immediate greenhouse gas emission reductions of 38% over grid-sourced energy and lead to cleaner air for the surrounding communities by eliminating the emission of criteria pollutants. The partners reported that the electricity generated by the microgrid will be enough to power 3,570 average US homes for one year. According to AlphaStruxure, the project will feature the largest rooftop solar array in New York City, and on any airport terminal in the USA, with all available and viable rooftop areas being used for solar.
The microgrid will be delivered to New Terminal One stakeholders by AlphaStruxure, a joint venture of global investment firm Carlyle and Schneider Electric, that designs, builds, owns, operates and maintains tailored energy infrastructure.
The 2,400,000ft2 terminal will serve as a gateway to the New York metropolitan area and is estimated to generate over 10,000 jobs. The first gates are expected to be open in 2026, with full completion anticipated by 2030. A consortium of labor, operating and financial partners, named NTO, is building the privately financed all-international terminal at JFK International Airport. The consortium includes Ferrovial, Carlyle, JLC Infrastructure, Ullico and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Upon project completion, NTO will be the first airport transit hub in the New York region that can function independently of the power grid, to maintain 100% of airport operations during power disruptions across the 23 gates and more than 177,000ft2 of dining, retail, lounges and recreational space.
Juan Macias, CEO of AlphaStruxure, said, “This NTO infrastructure project illuminates a new pathway to decarbonizing the air transportation sector. We’re thrilled to provide a holistic microgrid solution that will keep NTO powered through outages and advance the city, state and Port Authority’s ambitious decarbonization goals. This project is paving the way for all transportation hubs and municipalities across the country. Not only is it about resilient energy, it’s about decarbonization, risk transfer and cost predictability via the Energy as a Service business model.”
Dr Gerrard Bushell, CEO of the New Terminal One development at JFK, commented, “Sustainability and resilience have been core values for the New Terminal One, and we are proud to unveil our partnership with AlphaStruxure to achieve these goals. This is future-focused infrastructure that will facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels and sets a new standard for large-scale renewable development in New York and in the air transit sector. The partnership with AlphaStruxure also provides New Terminal One with a resilient energy solution that has price certainty, de-risking the terminal from the volatile energy markets. Further, the local community of Southeast Queens will benefit from cleaner air, economic development and the jobs accompanying this investment. AlphaStruxure’s microgrid is a fundamental building block of this terminal, and we look forward to the many benefits it will provide to travelers and the community for decades to come.”
Pooja Goyal, chief investment officer of Carlyle’s global infrastructure business, said, “This project demonstrates how the Energy as a Service financing model can shape decarbonization in the transit sector. We believe this is the kind of energy infrastructure that’s needed throughout the country to become more resilient to outages while providing a path to work toward achieving sustainability goals. We’re very proud to be financing the New Terminal One microgrid project at JFK that’s providing such a valuable model for the private and public sectors.”
Annette Clayton, CEO of Schneider Electric North America, stated, “Microgrids solve two of the most serious challenges, resilience and decarbonization, with a single solution. The New Terminal One project at JFK shows that Schneider Electric’s microgrid technology is ready to transform our nation’s most critical infrastructure – including one of the busiest airports in the country – into a sustainable airport of the future.”
