San Carlos and Half Moon Bay airports have an electrifying future! The Airports’ team won the County of San Mateo 2022 Innovation Challenge for their Airports Charging Forward proposal to provide charging stations for all-electric planes at SQL and HAF.
The Airports’ team recognizes electric aircraft, which are quieter and emissions-free, are the future of general aviation. With the $2,000 prize, the team will invest the money in planning resources to identify the best locations for the charging stations at both airports. They will also seek funding for developing, purchasing, and installing this new technology through federal and state grant programs.
All-electric aircraft technology is still being developed and tested, with the most common challenge manufacturers have faced is designing a light battery that produces enough energy to power a plane’s electric motor over long distances with passengers and their baggage onboard. SQL and HAF will be focus airports in the future for these test and eventually, routine, flights once the electric charging stations are installed.
This important and future-focused project is being shared with neighbors, tenants, pilots, and industry partners to seek input about the charging stations—where to locate them and which model to purchase—to ensure County of San Mateo Airports is on the leading edge of providing power infrastructure for electric aircraft.
