Solar Field Expansion Shines Light on How PIT Uses Its 8,800 Acres to Create Resiliency

Pittsburgh International Airport continues to maximize its 8,800-acre campus to drive economic development in the region with a project that will more than double its solar field.

Power outages that shut down London Heathrow Airport and airports in Spain and Portugal highlighted the significance of PIT’s award-winning microgrid, a blueprint for airport resiliency around the world. Thanks to the microgrid, the airport can generate its own power while maintaining connection to the main power grid as a back-up. Since the natural gas and solar project was completed in 2021, it has saved the airport more than $1 million per year in electricity costs.

The expansion of PIT’s 3-megawatt solar grid was announced on April 29 in partnership with Duquesne Light Co. and IMG Energy Solutions, a Liberty Energy company, at no cost to the Allegheny County Airport Authority. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

It will add 11,216 high-performance solar panels to the already 10,000 panels atop a closed landfill on airport property. This expansion of the existing 8-acre solar array with an additional 12 acres will enable the generation of an additional 4.7 megawatts of clean energy, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 5 million pounds per year. The expansion, while not part of the microgrid, will supply energy to the regional electric grid, giving the community additional renewable energy.

The airport authority is putting its 8,800 acres “to incredible use,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “They are innovating and diversifying our energy portfolio for the entire region. … Most airports in the U.S. are not doing this; we are unique in the work that is happening here.”

Mike Brady, Vice President of Power Generation Execution at Liberty Energy, stands next to a row of solar panels at PIT’s microgrid on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Beth Hollerich)

The solar expansion is just one piece of PIT’s energy innovation initiatives. The airport also is working on plans to produce synthetic aviation fuel on-site, which could make it the first airport in the world to do so.

“Pittsburgh International Airport is an energy leader, and we are thrilled to partner with Duquesne Light Co. and IMG for this important regional project,” said PIT CEO Christina Cassotis. “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.”

“We’ve already set the global standard for resiliency,” said Vince Gastgeb, PIT’s Chief Government and Corporate Affairs Officer. “Projects like this continue to build our credibility in the aviation industry.”

The expanded solar field will be owned and operated by IMG, with a commitment to supply 100% of its generated energy, along with the Renewable Energy Credits, to Duquesne Light.

“This project reinforces our commitment to delivering flexible, high-performance energy solutions that provide reliable, low-emissions power,” said Mike Brady, Vice President of Power Generation Execution at Liberty Energy, which recently acquired IMG.

Innamorato said that the project, which will create family-sustaining jobs, “only happens because we work together.”

“These are the kind of public private partnerships that this region really needs and thrives on,” said Brian Guzek, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Duquesne Light. “The innovation that we see here at the airport continues to lead not just our region but the entire country and the world.”