Airport seeks conditional $550,000 grant for electric aircraft charger; fuel-tank replacement also proposed

Airport staff reported that a conditional grant of $550,000 has been awarded to support installation of a rapid charging station for an electric aircraft that has already operated into Logan twice.

Presenter Bob told the board the grant was a conditional award from an electrification program the airport sought and that the airport will provide an additional local contribution to complete the project. "We were granted ... $550,000," he said. He listed the next steps required by the grant: provide documentation verifying electrical capacity, determine whether a new transformer or switch-gear upgrades are needed (those upgrades have been included in the airport's budget assumptions), and submit supporting materials by May 1.

Staff presented a proposed site on the ramp near the historic tower and the Utah State University dispatch area, noting that the location would be close to existing three-phase power and that the charging pad would be in a currently underused area of the ramp. Board members repeatedly recommended that staff verify the site is acceptable to Utah State University, the fixed-base operator (FBO) and the airport master planner before finalizing placement. "Let's check with Utah State, let's check with our master planner," one member said.

Project timeline and operations: staff said they expect the installation could take up to 18 months from start to finish and they want the system in place well before the Olympics. The presenter said a full aircraft charge costs about $30 to $35, compared with the cost of a few hundred gallons of jet fuel at roughly $5 a gallon expressed in the discussion.

Separately, the presenter said the airport submitted a "wraps" grant to replace the airport's AVGAS fuel tank, which was installed in 1980 and is past its expected life. He said the existing tank sits about 20 feet from a canal and that a leak could reach the Cutler waterway and eventually the Great Salt Lake, and that the proposed tank would be double-walled and self-service.

Staff said they will follow up with the FBO and Utah State Flight School, report findings to the chair, and circulate a written update. The board noted airport activity was high (nearly 11,000 operations in January) and estimated annual economic impact at about $16 million to the local area.

Next steps: staff will gather documentation on electrical capacity and costs, confirm stakeholder acceptance of the proposed charger location, and return to the board with a written report for circulation.

Quotes from the meeting appear as stated in the transcript; speakers are identified by the names and roles recorded in meeting remarks.