# Kennedy International Airport Cogen

NYISO power_plant · https://askthegrid.com/nyiso/assets/plant/kennedy-international-airport-cogen

A natural-gas-fired combined-cycle cogeneration facility located at JFK Airport, Building 49, in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The facility comprises two General Electric LM6000 PC Sprint combustion turbines with supplementary natural-gas duct burners and heat-recovery steam generators, plus a steam-cycle generator. It supplies electricity to JFK Airport and the Consolidated Edison distribution grid, and supplies hot water, chilled water, and steam to the airport's central heating and refrigeration plant. The combustion turbines are permitted to fire both natural gas (primary) and low-sulfur distillate or jet fuel (backup). The facility also includes six Port Authority-owned emergency boilers that operate intermittently to supplement hot-water generation when the main cogeneration units are unavailable or cannot meet demand.

## Key facts

- Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Power capacity: 121.2 MW

## Grid and market context

- ISO/RTO: NYISO
- Balancing authority: NYISO

## Source-backed facts

- Operations.status detail: Operating; Title V permit effective 2022-06-28 through 2027-06-27 — downloads.regulations.gov · confidence: review_required

## Timeline

- 1990-11-14 — Letter of Intent signed
  KIAC Partners and Port Authority entered a letter of intent under which the Port Authority would purchase JFK's electricity requirements (up to approximately 76 MW net rated capacity) and specified hot- and chilled-water requirements from the project.
  Source: epa.gov (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/kiac_partners_cogeneration_project.pdf)
- 1992-09-28 — FERC qualifying-facility certification
  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certified the KIAC project as a qualifying facility under FERC regulations (cogeneration docket 91-54-002).
  Source: epa.gov (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/kiac_partners_cogeneration_project.pdf)
- 1993-04-28 — Energy Purchase Agreement executed
  KIAC Partners and Port Authority executed the Energy Purchase Agreement covering up to 76.3 MW of airport electricity requirements, hot water up to 225 MMBtu/hr, and chilled water up to 22,000 tons.
  Source: epa.gov (https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/kiac_partners_cogeneration_project.pdf)
- 1993-05-04 — Original project financing (Series 3 bonds) issued
  Port Authority issued $175 million in aggregate principal amount of Series 3 Special Project Bonds to finance part of the construction and renovation costs of the KIAC project.
  Source: tax.ny.gov (https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/advisory_opinions/mortgage/a96_3r.pdf)
- 1995-11-22 — Emergency boilers placed under Port Authority operating certificates
  NYSDEC issued Certificates to Operate to the Port Authority for each of six emergency boilers; these boilers are later operated by Calpine on behalf of the Port Authority.
  Source: extapps.dec.ny.gov (https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/dar/afs/permits/prr_263080009600009_r2_1.pdf)
- 2018-01-26 — Turbine upgrade and permit modification (LM6000 PA to PC Sprint)
  NYSDEC's permit-review record documented the addition of six existing emergency boilers to the KIAC Title V permit and upgrades of the two combustion turbines from LM6000 PA to LM6000 PC Sprint units.
  Source: extapps.dec.ny.gov (https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/dar/afs/permits/prr_263080009600009_r2_1.pdf)
- 2022-06-28 — NYSDEC Title V Renewal #3 permit issued
  NYSDEC Title V Renewal #3 permit identified the Calpine JFK Energy Center as a major facility operated by Calpine Operating Services for KIAC Partners, with two GE LM6000 PC Sprint turbines and six Port Authority-owned emergency boilers; permit effective through June 27, 2027.
  Source: downloads.regulations.gov (https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-R02-OAR-2025-0290-0012/content.pdf)

## Sources

- [documents.dps.ny.gov](https://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId=%7BCB41B0E6-970A-4DD6-AC46-DBAE6865B31F%7D) — documents.dps.ny.gov · tier authoritative
- [downloads.regulations.gov](https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-R02-OAR-2025-0290-0012/content.pdf) — downloads.regulations.gov · tier authoritative
- [extapps.dec.ny.gov](https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/dar/afs/permits/prr_263080009600009_r2_1.pdf) — extapps.dec.ny.gov · tier authoritative
- [epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/kiac_partners_cogeneration_project.pdf) — epa.gov · tier authoritative
- [tax.ny.gov](https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/advisory_opinions/mortgage/a96_3r.pdf) — tax.ny.gov · tier authoritative

## Data quality

- The historical record uses different capacity figures: the 1998 SEC description identifies 107 MW, the original project article describes a 110 MW plant, and current plant datasets report approximately 121.2 MW of nameplate capacity. These figures likely reflect different configurations or reporting conventions (e.g., gross vs. net capacity, different study dates). The 121.2 MW figure is the current EIA nameplate capacity sum. Both dates reflect the same operational period; December 1994 is used as the exact initial operation date per EIA records. The 2018 regulatory record documents upgrades from LM6000 PA to LM6000 PC Sprint units and incorporation of six existing emergency boilers into the permit. The record does not establish a separate retirement, full repowering, or permanent shutdown event for the plant. The facility is a cogeneration (combined heat and power) asset that integrates electricity generation with thermal energy (hot water, chilled water, and steam) supply to JFK Airport. The Port Authority owns the six emergency boilers; Calpine operates them as part of the overall facility operations.

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