NEW YORK—Madison Energy Infrastructure, the New York City developer, owner, and operator of distributed solar energy and energy storage projects, has announced what it is calling Community Infrastructure initiative, a commitment to develop an additional 1 gigawatt of distributed energy capacity by 2028, mobilizing up to $2 billion in capital to help meet AI’s growing demand for power while creating and delivering lasting benefits for communities.
Among five projects announced was a 13 megawatt solar project at Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport in Niles, along with 8.75 megawatts of energy storage. Madison said the project is expected to provide significant lifetime cost savings to the city of Niles.
Madison said the projects are intended to support the development of AI data centers.
“AI requires power at a speed and scale we’ve never seen before, and building that infrastructure successfully requires more than capacity,” said Madison CEO Richard Walsh. “Community Infrastructure is about helping AI labs and hyperscalers show up for communities, not just in them. We’ve spent years cultivating the right relationships, development capabilities, and national ecosystem needed to turn that idea into local energy infrastructure at scale.”
While large-scale generation will remain essential, it cannot, alone, address surging demand or local concerns about rising electricity prices and resource constraints. Distributed solar and energy storage infrastructure complement those investments by bringing new capacity online faster, cheaper, and closer to where electricity is consumed, helping residents, businesses, and utilities manage rising costs and grid constraints.
The other projects announced include:
- 50 megawatts of standalone energy storage with CORE Electric Cooperative in Colorado to help the utility meet rising demand and emission reduction goals
- A 16-megawatt solar project under construction with Denver International Airport to support one of the largest aviation hubs in the country
- A 27-megawatt offsite solar project nearing completion in Pennsylvania serving a national industrial client as a hedge against rising electricity prices in the PJM territory
- Ongoing partnership with data center developer EdgeConneX to pair clean energy with the company’s custom-built digital infrastructure
Madison’s operating portfolio is expected to surpass 1 GW later this fall. The Community Infrastructure initiative targets another gigawatt by 2028, effectively doubling the company’s energy infrastructure footprint in two years.