Geothermal system to be built in in Little Rock, Arkansas airport as part of broader redevelopment
The Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas (source: Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0 
Carlo Cariaga
19 Feb 2026
Work is ongoing on a geothermal system that will provide space conditioning for the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas.
A geothermal system is under construction to replace the traditional HVAC system of the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. The project, led by Little Rock-based Clark Contractors LLC, will consist of 760 wells and will be one of the largest geothermal systems in Arkansas upon completion.
The geothermal system is part of the $117-million Central Utility Project (CUP) which aims to relocate the underground infrastructure of the airport, build a geothermal borehole field, and create complementary mechanical and electrical infrastructure. There will also be three 2.5-MW backup generators. The CUP is scheduled for completion by early 2028.
This is a precursor to an even bigger redevelopment plan that includes passenger experience improvements, a new arrivals hall, a wider concourse, and parking upgrades
Using the constant ground temperature tapped into by the shallow geothermal boreholes, the system will provide both heating and cooling to the facility. It will drastically reduce the consumption of natural gas and reduce electrical consumption, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% to 95%.
As Zack Joseph, project manager for Clark Contractors, explained, the geothermal system has a higher upfront cost compared to traditional HVAC system, but it is much more efficient and resilient. The project had received a $17 million Voluntary Airport Low Emissions grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and another $7 million of funding from metropolitan planning organization Metroplan. The whole CUP project has a budget of $117 million.
The Clinton Airport joins a growing list of airports around the world that have integrated or are looking into developing geothermal systems for heating and cooling. Systems currently in operation include the Louisville Airport in Kentucky and the Paris-Orly Airport, while drilling and construction work has been ongoing in India, Hungary, and again in France. With an inherently large space conditioning demand, airports are a perfect fit for the stable, climate-proof reliability of geothermal systems.
Source: Arkansas Business and Clark Contractors
