Fresno-Yosemite International Airport may be the greenest airport in the world. The airport is installing a record number of solar panels — the largest solar project completed by any commercial airport in the U.S.

The airport has quite a bit of undeveloped land surrounding landing strips and other airport facilities. Rather than letting it remain empty, the airport is covering 9.5 acres of its open land with solar panels. That's the equivalent of covering seven football fields and requires 11,700 solar panels. Fresno hasn't become self-sufficient, but the panels can generate about 40 percent of the airports annual electrical needs.

A private company, Worldwater and Solar Technologies, is handling the design, installation and maintenance of the panels. Airport officials have announced that this plan will decrease the overhead costs required to run the airport and will help the airport with the soaring energy costs it has struggled to meet. Fresno's energy needs will be reduced by an approximate 170,000 barrels.

Alan Autry, the mayor of Fresno, and other local government officials considered the plan simple common sense. Autry said: "So you take land that's basically idle and useless and turning it into 11-million dollars worth of taxpayer's savings, that's a good day for Fresno."

Image — Caribb