FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and other officials were on hand in late September to mark the inauguration of the new $40 million control tower at Tucson International Airport. The tower was completed under budget and ahead of schedule. The 252-foot-tall structure, roughly twice the height of the previous tower, sits atop a 13,000-sq-ft base building that houses computer equipment, offices and a back-up power system.

Among its environmentally friendly features is a 1,600-panel solar farm next to the base building that will generate enough electricity to power the facility for several hours a day, supplementing its commercial power supply.

“We need to continually invest in our nation’s air transportation infrastructure to maintain the world’s best, and safest, air transportation system,” said Huerta. “We also believe investment and environmental responsibility are intertwined, and this tower is a prime example of our efforts to be responsible environmental stewards.”