LAX Central Utility Plant

The new 90,000-square-foot Central Utility Plant (CUP) at LAX replaced a 50-year-old facility with a state-of-the-art, computer-managed system to improve utility reliability, safety, and passenger comfort across the airport. The project included a 64,000-square-foot, steel-framed plant with 20,000-ton cooling capacity, a 1.6-million-gallon thermal energy storage tank, and installation of key systems like pumps, cooling towers, and electrical switchgear. It also involved replacing 18 miles of utility piping and duct banks, upgrading infrastructure in 21 buildings, and installing new distribution systems beneath main roadways—all while designing the CUP as a critical facility with advanced seismic protection.