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Congressman Adam Schiff (California) introduced into the House of Representatives on February 20th legislation denominated the Renewable Roadsides Act (“Act”).
The stated objective of the Act is to direct the United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) to study the feasibility of developing the following on land adjacent to federal highways:
- Solar energy and storage facilities
- Electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure
The Act would also:
- Require the DOT and DOE to issue a report to Congress on their findings, inspiring broader discussions on leveraging underutilized land for renewable energy generation.
- Encourage the utilization of federal highway land for renewable energy projects, in line with the Federal Highway Administration's 2021 guidance and the Biden Administration's clean energy initiatives.
- Support states' efforts in renewable energy generation by sharing best practices and lessons learned from existing solar installations alongside highways.
- Address the dual challenges of energy reliability and environmental conservation by promoting clean energy infrastructure development in already developed areas, minimizing land use and conservation concerns.
Congressman Schiff states that the Act is supported by the following organizations:
- American Solar Energy Society
- California Environmental Voters
- Environment America
- Environment California
- Environmental Defense Fund
- League of Conservative Voters
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Sierra Club
- Solar Energy Industries Association
A copy of the Act can be downloaded here.
