A small regional airport. A 15-hectare solar farm. 96% of the electricity going straight to the national grid. This is what commercial ambition meets community purpose looks like.

What does it take for a regional airport to become a significant contributor to New Zealand's renewable energy grid? New Plymouth Airport CEO David Scott has a practical answer: vision, commercial discipline, and a willingness to take the harder road.

Over the past two and a half years, the airport has developed Te Matakupenga — a 12 megawatt solar farm generating approximately 14,700 megawatt hours annually. The airport uses just 4% — the rest goes to the grid, with a portion sold at a discounted rate to the local council via Ecotricity.

This is more than an energy project. It's a story about what's possible when an o ...