Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is Building a Sustainable Energy Superhighway One Microgrid at a Time

Construction is under way on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s (PA Turnpike) second microgrid, marking another step towards its goal of becoming the country’s first sustainable superhighway.

The solar microgrid will power the PA Turnpike’s 27,000 square-foot Western Regional Office, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police Troop T barracks in New Stanton, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

A natural gas generator will provide backup power for the installation, which is expected to be operational in early 2026.

The PA Turnpike commissioned its first solar microgrid in 2021 at the Greensburg District Maintenance Shed in Jeanette, about 10 miles north of New Stanton. The installation includes 3,224 solar panels, which generate approximately 1.3 MW of power. The site also features a natural gas generator for backup power.

The Greensburg microgrid saves the commission more than $400,000 annually by selling energy back to the grid, according to a statement from the PA Turnpike.

“Harnessing the power of the sun reduces our carbon footprint and strengthens infrastructure resiliency,” Keith Jack, director of facilities operations for the PA Turnpike, said in a statement. “We are continuously working to build an organization-wide culture of sustainability where all decisions consider our economic, environmental and social impacts.”

Building a sustainable superhighway

As part of its effort to become America’s first sustainable superhighway by 2040, the PA Turnpike plans to install additional solar microgrids at interchanges, services plazas and in rights-of-way across its 550-mile system.

The commission has also installed 63 EV chargers at eight service plazas, including four high-speed chargers commissioned in August at its service plazas in Somerset. Each unit can charge two vehicles simultaneously in 30 minutes or less.

The PA Turnpike plans to install an additional 80 charging units by 2027; the ultimate goal is to have at least four chargers at each of the turnpike’s 17 service plazas.

At its Central Administration building in Middletown, the PA Turnpike is designing and installing a stationary inductive charging showcase. The pilot project aims to arm administrators with data and technical insight on wireless charging systems. It plans to install inductive charging lanes in Allegheny County sometime in the next decade.

Other sustainability efforts include planting six pollinator habitats with 40 more still in development.

“The PA Turnpike has been an innovator for 85 years, finding new ways to adopt technologies that enhance customer safety, sustainability and reliability,” said Mark Compton, CEO of the PA Turnpike. “Our commitment to sustainability and finding ways to support responsible stewardship continues to guide every decision we make as we advance the PA Turnpike into the future.”

Transportation powered by microgrids

The transportation sector is increasingly turning to microgrids to improve resilience and lower costs.

Pittsburgh International Airport boasts a solar and natural gas generator-powered microgrid. The 23-MW installation was commissioned in 2021. Essential Utilities, which developed the project, recently sold it and two other microgrids to energy firm Cordia for $165 million.

Airport microgrid projects are also underway or operational at JFK in New York and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.

School districts and public transit organizations across the country are also investing in microgrids to power operations, charge electric vehicles and support the grid.