Construction is slated to start in October on a major solar farm spread across 800-plus acres at Washington Dulles International, with the effort being up and running sometime in 2025.
That’s according to the latest update from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is providing the land in a partnership with Dominion Energy on the $100-plus-million project.
The effort recently received requisite approval from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, which “is a key step,” said Airports Authority president/CEO Jack Potter.
When fully in operation, the facility is expected to generate the equivalent of the power needed for 25,000 homes. Both Dominion customers and the airport itself will use the electricity generated.
At an MWAA committee meeting on July 19, authority board member Walter Tejada (Virginia) pressed staff to promote the planned ground-breaking ceremony, slated for late August.
“It’s a big deal,” Tejada said. “Right now, it might be the largest solar farm in the country for an airport.”
