Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Dominion Energy have broken ground on a solar park on airport grounds that officials say will provide power to 37,000 homes in northern Virginia, where IAD is located.

The facility’s construction is targeted to be completed by 2026. Dubbed the Dulles Solar and Storage project, the facility is slated to span 835 acres in the southwest corner of IAD’s property. 

IAD and Dominion, which provides electricity to customers in 17 U.S. states, say in a joint statement that the solar park will generate up to 100 megawatts of solar energy and store up to 50 megawatts of power, “enough clean energy to power more than 37,000 Virginia homes at peak output.”

The IAD solar project was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Transportation Department, FAA and the Virginia State Corporation Commission. IAD and Dominion say the approvals came “after an extensive, multi-year review.” 

Rather than Dominion paying Dulles lease money for use of the property, the parties have reached an agreement whereby Dominion will develop two 1-megawatt solar carports, as well as provide 18 electric transit buses, 50 electric vehicles for the airport’s use and electric charging stations for those vehicles.

The parties say the construction project will create more than 300 jobs.

"This partnership will result in the largest renewable energy project ever developed at a U.S. airport," says Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA), which runs Dulles and Washington Reagan National Airport. "It's just one of many ways the Airports Authority is constantly working to be a good steward of the environment.”

Dominion President and CEO Bob Blue adds: "This is an exciting moment for the future of clean, reliable energy, not only for Virginia but for the entire nation. Thanks to our strong partnership with MWAA, millions of travelers flying in and out of Dulles every year will see this powerful symbol of the clean energy transition.”