Denver International Airport seeks committee approval for 18‑megawatt, 90‑acre solar lease and power purchase agreement

Denver International Airport officials asked the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Denver City Council to approve two connected 25‑year contracts — a land lease and a power purchase agreement — to build an approximately 18‑megawatt ground‑mounted solar array on about 90 acres on the airport’s north side.

Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport, introduced the request. Scott Morrissey, senior vice president for sustainability, told the committee "this particular project ... is an 18 megawatt, PV system," and said the array is projected to generate about 31,000,000 kilowatt‑hours of electricity and produce an indexed price that is roughly a 17.5% reduction per kilowatt‑hour compared with the comparable Xcel Energy tariff.

The project would be sited adjacent to existing airport solar installations on the north side of the airfield. Morrissey said the site is outside the airport’s security fence and therefore not inside the secured airfield operations area. He told councilmembers the airport uses FAA‑recommended glare analysis tools to select locations that avoid operational impacts. The lease and power purchase agreement are both 25 years; the airport described the PPA business model as developer‑financed and maintained, with no upfront capital cost to the airport.

Why it matters: Airport officials said the project would expand the airport’s existing solar portfolio, deliver recurring revenue from the lease, and provide immediate and long‑term electricity cost savings tied to an avoided‑cost index in the PPA. Airport staff framed the project as consistent with the airport’s Vision 100 strategic plan and with city and state building performance standards.

Key details and committee questions

- Size and output: Airport staff described the lease as covering roughly 90 acres but noted final layout could change during detailed design (airport explained the area "might be slightly smaller, but it will be in that area"). The system was described as roughly an 18 MW photovoltaic installation expected to generate about 31,000,000 kWh over a year at typical output projections.

- Contracts and finance: Officials said both the lease and the PPA are 25‑year agreements. As a power purchase agreement, the developer will finance, design, build, operate and maintain the array; the airport would purchase the power produced under an indexed structure tied to avoided cost. The airport said it requires a decommissioning bond from the developer to cover end‑of‑term removal if the airport chooses not to extend or buy the system.

- Procurement and interconnection: Airport staff told the committee the project is presented as a sole‑source arrangement from the city’s contracting perspective because Xcel Energy selected the developer through a separate competitive procurement required by the state’s renewable portfolio standard; the airport is partnering with the developer that won that procurement. Oakleaf Energy Partners was identified in the presentation as the developer partner for this project.

- Site and security: Councilmembers asked where the 90 acres would be located and whether contractor personnel require aviation badging. Airport staff said the site is adjacent to existing solar on the north side of the airfield and outside the security fence; they explained contractor crews are badged but the arrays are outside secured airfield operations.

- Technical and development specifics: Committee members asked whether the lease contains a site development plan and whether the airport prescribes panel make/model. Staff said the lease provides access rights, site development parameters and performance metrics (for example, a target megawatt capacity) but does not prescribe specific panel brands or models; panel specifications remain performance‑based and are defined with the developer during design.

Committee action and next steps

Councilwoman Lauren Flynn made a motion to approve the contracts and Councilman Hines seconded. Committee discussion then moved to other business. The transcript records a first and second but does not contain a roll‑call tally or an explicit recorded outcome for the motion. The committee requested answers to remaining technical and procedural questions; airport staff said they would follow up on outstanding items such as final site sizing and the exact vote record.

What was not specified in the meeting record

The committee discussion recorded in the transcript did not show a final roll‑call vote tally, a signed lease document, the exact rent amount or a final site survey with parcel boundaries. Airport staff said the lease rent was established at fair market value "in accordance with FAA regulations," but did not give the dollar figure during the committee exchange.

Ending

Airport officials said they would follow up with the committee to supply any outstanding technical drawings, confirm the final acreage once panel orientation is fixed, and provide any roll‑call outcome or formal council action documentation. The committee indicated no further speakers were queued and moved on to other agenda items.