Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§47140 Meeting current and future energy power demand

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART B— - AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT AND NOISE › Chapter CHAPTER 471— - AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT › § 47140

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must set up a program to help public airports plan for and meet current and future energy needs. Airport sponsors must check things like heating and cooling, ground vehicles and support equipment (including passenger shuttles), gate electrification, and electric aircraft charging. They must also review where energy systems are, how well they work, and how much main and backup power they can supply. Airports must use those findings to make development plans that save energy, cut peak power use, and meet future electricity demand. The Secretary will pay back airports for the cost of doing the assessment and will make grants from amounts available under section 48103 to airports that finish the assessment. Grants can pay to buy or build equipment that improves energy efficiency or to carry out the planned development projects. To get a grant, an airport sponsor must apply when and how the Secretary requires and certify that it is not delaying any safety projects by requesting the grant.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §47140

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall—
(1)encourage the sponsor of each public-use airport to—
(A)conduct airport planning that assesses the airport’s—
(i)current and future energy power requirements, including—
(I)heating and cooling;
(II)on-road airport vehicles and ground support equipment;
(III)gate electrification;
(IV)electric aircraft charging; and
(V)vehicles and equipment used to transport passengers and employees between the airport and—
(aa)nearby facilities owned or controlled by the airport or which otherwise directly support the functions or services provided by the airport; or
(bb)an intermodal surface transportation facility adjacent to the airport; and
(ii)existing energy infrastructure condition, location, and capacity, including base load and backup power, to meet the current and future electrical power demand as identified in this subparagraph; and
(B)conduct airport development to improve energy efficiency, increase peak load savings at the airport, and meet future electrical power demands as identified in subparagraph (A); and
(2)reimburse the airport sponsor for the costs incurred in conducting the assessment under paragraph (1)(A).
(b)The Secretary shall make grants to airport sponsors from amounts made available under section 48103 to assist such sponsors that have completed the assessment described in subsection (a)(1)—
(1)to acquire or construct equipment that will improve energy efficiency at the airport; and
(2)to pursue an airport development project described in subsection (a)(1)(B).
(c)To be eligible for a grant under paragraph (1),11 So in original. Probably should be “subsection (b)”. the sponsor of a public-use airport shall submit an application, including a certification that no safety projects are being deferred by requesting a grant under this section, to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 47140, added Pub. L. 108–176, title I, § 159(a)(1), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2509, related to airport ground support equipment emissions retrofit pilot program, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title I, § 166(a), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3226.

Amendments

2024—Pub. L. 118–63 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to increasing the energy efficiency of airport power sources. 2018—Pub. L. 115–254, § 166(b)(1), renumbered section 47140a of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–254, § 171(a), inserted “, and to reimburse the airport sponsor for the costs incurred in conducting the assessment” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–254, § 171(b), inserted “, including a certification that no safety projects are being be deferred by requesting a grant under this section,” after “an application”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 47140

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73