Committee approves Jetport battery storage appropriation; project cited for resiliency and grid benefits

The Portland Sustainability and Transportation Committee voted to advance an appropriation to support a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Portland International Jetport, recommending the item for full council consideration.

Paul Bradbury, airport director, told the committee the proposed BESS is a large, utility‑scale unit (about 1.9 megawatts of continuous power and approximately 5 megawatt‑hours of energy storage) that will back up the terminal building’s critical functions and enable load‑shedding during regional peak demand periods. “It is large — about the size of two tractor‑trailer trucks,” Bradbury said, describing planned use of a Tesla‑manufactured battery system in the current proposal.

Bradbury said the estimated project cost is approximately $4,209,000 and that, with the federal investment tax credit (ITC) direct‑pay mechanism created by the Inflation Reduction Act, the city expects a recovery of roughly $1,262,000 in year one under current law. With those assumptions the project is projected to pay back in about 8.7 years, Bradbury said, and would generate ongoing savings from capacity market (ICAP) and peak‑reduction incentives.

The project is sited at the southern corner of the airport campus near Jetport Boulevard and International Parkway to tie directly to a CMP vault and the primary feed that serves the terminal. Bradbury said the BESS would provide redundancy for the terminal’s gates and critical systems — including TSA screening and outbound baggage handling — and would support further electrification at the airport such as electric ground service equipment and EV charging for rental fleets.

Committee members asked about safety, solar integration and alternatives. Councilor Ali asked whether the batteries pose storing risks; Bradbury said the units are contained in vessels with fire‑protection features, use the same cell technology common to electric vehicles, and that the airport will coordinate training with local fire responders. Councilor Anna Bullock asked about existing solar; Bradbury said the site’s parking‑garage array (about 35,000 square feet) already supplies a large share of parking loads and described anti‑glare measures used for PV systems near airports.

Bradbury said the Jetport issued a request for proposals and selected Ameresco from multiple respondents — including Revision Energy and Siemens — following the RFP and selection process. The committee heard public comment supporting competitive bidding and asking about safety and environmental tradeoffs.

Committee Chair Regina Phillips called the briefing “very helpful.” The committee voted to advance the appropriation to the full council; recorded committee votes in the meeting transcript show Councilor Anna Bullitt moved the motion and Councilor Ali seconded, with the recorded tally as “yes” from Councilor Ali, Councilor Anna Bullock and Chair Phillips.

The appropriation will go to the full council for final action. The airport director and staff said they will continue to refine contract pricing with the selected developer and to address remaining administrative issues prior to council consideration.