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The basics:

• Newark Liberty will add 5 megawatts of new solar capacity
• Project expected to generate 5.9 million kilowatt-hours annually
• Solar installations will span airport rooftops, garages, parking lots
• Port Authority aims to expand agencywide solar generation to 20 megawatts

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced plans May 11 for a major solar energy expansion at Newark Liberty International Airport. The move will add 5 megawatts of generating capacity across five sites.

The project builds on a growing sustainability portfolio at Newark Liberty that includes the nation’s largest rooftop airport solar array as well as the agency’s first fully decarbonized building.

SunLight General Capital will develop the project through a power purchase agreement. The work is expected to generate nearly 5.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually — enough to power more than 550 homes. Meanwhile, it would avoid nearly 2,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year.

Construction is expected to begin this year and conclude in 2028. Under the agreement, SunLight General Capital will finance, build, own and maintain the systems. The Port Authority will purchase the electricity at a fixed rate, limiting upfront capital costs.

The installations will span rooftops, parking lots and parking structures around the airport. Sites include the Terminal C garage, the P4 parking garage, the ride hailing lot, and the parking area near Buildings 79 and 80 at the northeast corner of the campus. Officials said the ride hailing lot installation is specifically sized to support fast-charging electric vehicle stations.

Let the sunshine in

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the project continues a broader push to modernize energy infrastructure and expand renewable generation capacity.

“This initiative will … support new jobs, and move us closer to a clean energy future,” Sherrill said. “Newark Liberty is one of the front doors to New Jersey, and this project will show why we are a national leader in energy innovation.”

Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said the airport has become a centerpiece of the agency’s sustainability efforts. “Today we’re adding to that record with 5 megawatts of new solar capacity across five more sites, moving this airport and this agency even closer to net-zero emissions,” said O’Toole.

Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the expansion demonstrates how climate commitments translate into active infrastructure projects.

“These five additional sites at the airport, together generating 5 megawatts, show that our net-zero commitment is more than wishful thinking,” Garcia said. “It is a construction schedule and a signed agreement, with the reality of clean energy coming online at one of the busiest airports in the country.”

These five additional sites at the airport … show that our net-zero commitment is more than wishful thinking.
– Kathryn Garcia, Port Authority executive director

Integrating into hubs

Ed Klehe is chief investment officer at SunLight General Capital. He said the initiative highlights how renewable energy projects can integrate into large transportation hubs. “Expanding solar across Newark Liberty International Airport is a powerful example of how clean energy can be integrated into complex, high-impact infrastructure,” said Klehe.

The latest project adds to several sustainability initiatives already underway at EWR. The airport’s Terminal A parking garage features a 5-megawatt rooftop solar array with more than 12,700 panels. Also, the airport’s historic Building One recently underwent a full decarbonization retrofit that eliminated on-site fossil fuel use.

Agency-wide, the Port Authority said its solar capacity has grown from 1.6 megawatts in 2021 to more than 14 megawatts today. The Newark expansion is expected to push total generating capacity to nearly 20 megawatts across roughly 32,000 solar panels.