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Committee backs aviation land, solar and EV‑charging measures, including citywide ChargePHL concession
Summary
The committee recommended several aviation and EV measures for Council consideration: airport easement and land acquisition for PHL expansion, a 25‑year solar PPA for Northeast Philadelphia Airport, fast chargers at the airport cell‑phone lot, and a 10‑year, citywide concession to install about 800 EV charging stations.
The committee reported a package of aviation and electric‑vehicle infrastructure measures with favorable recommendations after testimony from the Department of Aviation, the Philadelphia Energy Authority and the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS).
Kate Sullivan, Chief Commercial Officer for the Department of Aviation, described two related bills: bill 260426 would expand easement interests tied to development of refrigerated warehouse (a "cool port") near 8350 Executive Avenue; bill 260427 would authorize acquisition of 31.56 acres at 8800 Tikum Boulevard for future airport uses, paid from airport commercial funds and not the city general fund. Sullivan said the properties advance airport economic development and would allow expansion where the airport is otherwise land‑constrained.
On renewables, Jessica Nune (DOA sustainability manager) and Katie Bartalot of the Philadelphia Energy Authority outlined bill 260464, a 25‑year power purchase agreement with Reactivate LLC for an on‑site solar farm at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Testimony described the array as sized to meet P&E (Northeast Philadelphia Airport) electricity needs and said the PPA would transfer construction, operation and maintenance responsibilities to the vendor, with projected lifetime cost savings cited in testimony.
On vehicle electrification, the committee heard two related items. Bill 260431 would authorize Positive Energy Inc. to install DC fast chargers in the Philadelphia International Airport cell‑phone lot (four chargers serving up to eight vehicles simultaneously). Bill 260428 — the broader ChargePHL program — would authorize multi‑year concession agreements with two vendors (Positive Energy and ASE Electric) to site, install, own and maintain an approximately 800‑station publicly accessible EV network at curbside locations and parking lots across the city at no capital cost to the city. OTIS staff said vendors will bring capital and federal matching funds and that contracts will include distribution requirements so every council district receives chargers.
Members asked about pricing and siting. OTIS estimated that a typical overnight charging session might cost around $13 but said pricing will be governed by contract approvals and competitive forces. The office said fast chargers are capital‑intensive (rough order of magnitude ~ $800,000 per fast‑charging project) while Level‑2 chargers are much less costly (roughly $15,000–$25,000 each). OTIS expects to begin installations in early 2027 contingent on contracting and federal funding.
The committee approved an amendment to the solar bill, approved the amendment to the TAP bill (reported in the companion water article), and then reported all transportation and aviation bills — including the aviation easement and acquisition, airport solar PPA, airport fast chargers and the ChargePHL concession — with favorable recommendations and recommended suspending rules to permit first reading at the next Council session. Actions were recorded as voice votes.
Next steps: the bills will be forwarded to full Council for first reading and any procurement or interconnection actions described by DOA/PEA will proceed through the appropriate procurement and utility interconnection processes.
