The Reno-Tahoe International Airport received a $7 million dollar grant today from the Federal Aviation Administration to support their More RNO Expansion Project.
The money is going directly to a new electric central utility plant, which is going to power all of the new buildings and airport infrastructure that they working on and planning to build. The airport says there's a lot that goes into this future plan because an airport is like it's own city.
Daren Griffin, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority explains “We have our own police department fire department, infrastructure is really our business and so as many people know the more RNO program will replace our existing two concourses and the new concourses will be 40% t larger so we need a new central utility plant to power all of it.”
Griffin says the new electric central utility plant will be much more energy efficient, using 20% less energy and 75% less water to power the bigger airport.
He says as Reno grows, so does the airport.
With all the construction happening now this new infrastructure plan will be an addition planned for the future. He says this expansion is a way for them to meet the needs of Northern Nevada.
Griffin says “This grant is critical for us the new central utility plant is almost $35 million so a $7 million dollar grant is a fantastic and huge down payment it’s hard to find the funding we’re competing with a lot of other airports for limited grant funding.”
He also says this is the very first grant funding they've received for the More RNO Expansion Project, typically they would receive funding for items outside the airport like runways, and he tells us it's more difficult to get funding for the terminal itself.
The airport hopes this won't be the last grant they ever get, they want to continue to compete with bigger airports and will continue to apply for these grants.
As for the construction now, the expanded ticketing hall should be done in early April and the roadways should be completed in late summer.
For the two new concourses and new airline gates, the airport is designing them now, and construction on the project will begin in late 2025. The rental car and ground transportation center, they hope to begin construction later this year.
Griffin says “This is one of the easiest airports to get in and out of, when we’re all done with the more RNO program it will still be one of the easiest airports to get in and out of we all love that we’re not going to lose that but it’ll be brighter more modern with more amenities for all customers.”
