Visit any large shopping center, big box retailer, or glance around the parking lot at many institutional and commercial buildings, and visitors would be hard-pressed not to find electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, is a key example of a facility integrating EV-charging infrastructure to meet the interests and needs of their onsite partners and customers while aligning with state and national sustainability goals.
“Rental cars and passenger vehicles are being electrified, and so are ground support equipment for aircraft and even aircraft themselves,” says Tyler Miller, the airport’s chief operating officer. “Airports have been identified as one of the several locations whose electrical loads are expected to grow exponentially as the industry transitions to electrically powered equipment.
In 2022, passengers at the Blue Grass Airport were provided with the convenience of EV charging stations as part of the airport’s valet parking service. Working with Kentucky Utilities at the time, the airport integrated an EV charging station that could charge up to four vehicles and was free for passengers using the airport’s valet parking service.
Most recently, the Blue Grass Airport expanded its EV charging initiatives by providing chargers for the rental car facility adjacent to the airport, allowing the rental car partner companies to offer EV rental vehicles to travelers. Each year, the airport services over 1.5 million passengers, while supporting the region with 4,745 jobs and a total economic output exceeding $709 million.
The airport has a one-story covered parking garage for use by the rental car tenants, which includes seven national rental car brands says Miller.
“This project was one that supported our tenants’ goals in addition to our own. We installed nine electric vehicle chargers in the garage, located near the front of the garage for prime parking locations,” Miller says. “The goals and purpose of this project were to reflect the community’s value in sustainability by providing charging capability for our tenants’ growing EV fleets.”
Maura Keller is a freelance writer based in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Kentucky Airport Boosts Sustainability Efforts
EV Charging Stations Boosts Airport’s Sustainability Efforts
