PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must create a program that makes each public‑use airport sponsor plan for and meet the airport’s current and future energy and power needs. Airport sponsors must study their energy needs for heating and cooling, on‑road vehicles and ground support equipment, gate electrification, electric aircraft charging, and vehicles that move passengers or workers between the airport and nearby airport facilities or an adjacent intermodal transport hub. The study must also check where the power systems are, how much capacity they have, and whether they have base load and backup power. Sponsors must then carry out development to save energy, lower peak power use, and meet future electrical demand. The Secretary must reimburse sponsors for the cost of the study and may give grants from amounts available under section 48103 to airports that finish the study. Grants can pay to buy or build energy‑saving equipment or to fund the development projects. To get a grant, a sponsor must apply as the Secretary requires and certify that asking for the grant is not delaying any safety projects.

Title 49, §47140

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

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)Grants.—

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)Application.—

To be eligible for a grant under paragraph (1), 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.

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”.

§47140 Meeting Current and Future Energy Power Demand