FedEx Express Breaks Ground On Solar At Newark International Airport

FedEx Express will break ground today on a huge new solar array at its facilities by Newark Liberty International Airport.

"It’s about finding diverse sources of energy as we seek to operate more efficiently," said Mitch Jackson, the company’s vice president of environmental affairs, in an interview yesterday.

Jackson said the project, which will cover 3.5 acres of buildings at the airport, will supply 15 percent of the facility’s power needs at a lower cost than the energy currently provided from the grid.

"What we look at for each of these systems is almost a triple bottom line: lower cost, a lower environmental footprint and a sustainable model with respect to diversification of supply," Jackson said.

The new project will be the company’s second-biggest, after its Woodbridge array, which has a 2.4 megawatt system.

"We applaud FedEx for thinking green and adding to the Port Authority’s already-robust sustainability program," said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye in a statement.

The company estimates the panels will cut its carbon emissions by 1,807 metric tons a year, equal to a hypothetical 4,202 barrels of oil.

The panels are part of a power purchase agreement with Marina Energy and Solops LLC, which means FedEx doesn’t own the panels outright but instead agrees to buy the power they generate from the other firms.

—Eliot Caroom