A Major Cogeneration System Goes in at JFK International Airport

Low-visibility Privatization in a High-impact Environment

Abstract

This article describes the first major privatization effort to be
completed at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airport
owner and operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ,
decided to seek private sector involvement in a capital-intensive
project to expand and upgrade the airport 's heating and air condition-
ing facilities and construct a new cogeneration plant. Kennedy
International Airport Cogeneration (KIAC) Partners , a partnership
between Gas Energy Incorporated of New York and Commun ity En -
ergy Alternatives of New Jersey , was selected to develop an energy
center to supply electricity and hot and chilled water to meet the
airport 's growing energy demand.
Construction of a 110 MW cogeneration plant, 7,000 tons of
chilled water equipment, and 30,000 feet of hot water delivery piping
started immediately. JFK Airport's critical international position
called for this substantial project to be developed almost invisibly; no
interruption in heating and air conditioning service and no interfer-
ence in the airport's active operations could be tolerated . Commercial
operation was achieved in February 1995 .