INDIANAPOLIS - Ground was broken Friday on construction of the 75-acre solar farm at Indianapolis International Airport.
The solar farm will generate electricity that will be sold to Indianapolis Power and Light.

"All power made here will be exported through IPALCO," said Kelly Flynn, with Indianapolis Airport Authority. "It might be used locally. It might go into the grid. Either way, it's a tremendous use of solar energy without involving fossil fuel to make it."

The facility will be the largest airport solar farm in North America, and the $35 million to $40 million alternative energy project will keep nearly 11 million tons of pollutants from being released into the air.

More than 41,000 solar panels will generate more than 15 million kilowatt hours of electric energy each year, which is enough to power more than 1,400 households.

The Department of Interior has set aside 285,000 acres of public land in the west for utility scale installations, and another 19 million acres could be used in the future to power 7 million American homes.

"Eventually, it's a cheaper energy and we don't totally depend on coal, which is an environmental issue," said Albert Chen, CEO of Telamon Corp.

Construction of the solar farm at the Indianapolis International Airport is set to be finished in the fall.