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Ross Norton // June 18, 2026//
Officials broke ground on Columbia Metropolitan Airport’s terminal energy project, which will add a solar microgrid, battery storage and hundreds of covered parking spaces. (Rendering/FlyCAE.com)
Columbia Metropolitan Airport breaks ground on solar microgrid
Officials broke ground on Columbia Metropolitan Airport’s terminal energy project, which will add a solar microgrid, battery storage and hundreds of covered parking spaces. (Rendering/FlyCAE.com)
Ross Norton // June 18, 2026//
Columbia Metropolitan Airport has broken ground on a multi-phase terminal energy project.
The project will include the construction of a solar array canopy, as part of a microgrid, on the top deck of the existing parking garage — adding 700 covered garage parking spots for passengers, according to a news release.
Additionally, a battery yard storage facility will be built adjacent to the terminal, according to the release. Energy generated by the solar panels will be stored in the battery yard and deployed as needed during peak demand periods and at night. Airport officials say the project will provide operational resiliency for the daily needs of the airport.
“Increasing covered parking — to 1500 total covered parking spots at the end of this project — while leveraging a renewable energy source reflects the innovative, future-focused mindset the airport has embraced for this project,” Frank Murray, vice president of engineering and planning for Columbia Metropolitan Airport, said in the news release. “In addition to increasing covered garage parking, we will be harnessing and storing the energy generated, which in turn, will drive down our utility spend by an estimated average of 55% every year.”
The first phase of the terminal energy project focuses on the west side of the parking garage. In recent weeks, passengers parking in the garage have seen signage redirecting traffic to other parts of the parking garage as construction of the new microgrid is now underway.
The project is on track to be fully completed by December 2027, according to airport officials.
“The cost savings, the increased energy independence and the enhanced system reliability will allow CAE to see positive impacts with this project for many decades to come,” Chris White, CAE president and CEO, said in the release.
CAE has partnered with engineering consultant firm, CMTA Inc., for these projects.
For parking information during the construction, visit FlyCAE.com.
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