GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Trump administration canceled a $1.5 million federal grant intended for the Appleton International Airport, according to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s office.
The $1.5 million was awarded in 2024 through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides entitlement and discretionary grant funds for a network of more than 3,300 eligible airports.
The grant would have been used to install a solar array and microgrid system with battery storage. The project would enhance sustainability and ensure that the Airport remains operational during grid outages and adverse weather conditions. The project had not yet been started.
The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation (DOT) discontinued the grant, claiming that the project did not meet agency priorities.
Baldwin wrote:
The Appleton International Airport plays a critical role for the Fox Valley economy – bringing visitors and tourism dollars into our communities, connecting local businesses to customers and markets, and supporting good-paying jobs. Now, President Trump is playing politics and shutting down a commonsense project that would modernize the airport and lower energy costs for years to come. This is flat out wrong, and the administration should reverse this decision immediately. Wisconsin families deserve to have their hard-earned dollars invested back in their communities, and I’m going to keep fighting to do just that.
“Sen. Tammy Baldwin has been a champion for the Appleton Airport for years and we’re thankful for her leadership. Cancelling this project would not affect ATW’s long-term strategy for using sustainable energy sources throughout our facilities. Moving forward we’ll continue to purse federal and state funding for projects of this nature to conserve energy costs and be good stewards of public dollars invested in the airport.”
