Airport to install 2,286 solar panels over parking lots

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso International Airport is preparing to start construction on the Solar Covered Parking project.

As part of the preparation, the airport is closing the Premium Reserved Parking lot and the East portion of the Short-Term lot on October 5, 2025. To compensate for the closure, the airport is expanding the West Lot by about 100 spaces in time for Thanksgiving and the following holiday season.

The project aims to make the airport's facilities more sustainability-focused by installing 2,286 solar panels on shade canopies. The panels will be rated at 585 watts and are expected to generate 1.33 megawatts of energy.

This project costs $3.8 million. $1.75 million is being funded by a federal grant from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The city expects to be finished with the project by February 2026.