PHL gets $20.4 million to upgrade infrastructure
Philadelphia International Airport will receive $20.4 million in federal funds toward upgrading the airport’s HVAC and electrical systems, elected officials announced on Friday.
“We deeply appreciate this latest example of the Biden-Harris administration and Congress investing in Philadelphia’s infrastructure,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act has resulted in tens of millions of dollars coming to Philadelphia in just the last month alone.”
The new funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminals Program, which was created by the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program provides funding to projects that address aging infrastructure at airports across the country. Since launching in 2022, the program has allocated $1 billion to support projects annually through 2026.
“We’re thrilled to receive this funding that allows us to advance our modernization efforts at PHL to improve energy efficiency, replace aging infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions,” Atif Saeed, CEO of PHL, said in a statement.
The upgrades at PHL are part of the airport’s Terminal Energy Optimization Program. The project includes replacing air units, ground power units, and upgrading the electrical substation and thermal plants in Terminal A-West, according to a statement last year from PHL.
The program, which also aims to improve the local air quality, received $15 million in federal funds last year.
“This is not only an investment in a safer and more energy efficient airport experience but an investment in the future success of an economic linchpin of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth,” Sen. Bob Casey (D, Pa.), said in a statement.
PHL has received over $347 million in federal funds since 2021 with this new investment, according to Sen. Casey’s office. In recent years federal funds have been allocated to PHL’s bathroom renovation project, which when completed will bring an additional 13,000 square feet of bathroom space to the airport, and add 35 stalls by 2028.