Here in the USA we could power electrical needs of the whole country with solar arrays built above much of our 47,714 miles of Interstate highways (Other streets and highways too) and not have to displace anyone or do any more environmental damage than has already been done. Other streets and highways as well. The solar panels would act as a roof keeping ice and snow off the highways and reduce the energy and cost needed to maintain roads.
Rather than putting them out in the middle of a desert where habit is destroyed and transmission costs go up due to distance or rendering valuable farm land to no other use we place them on land that is already scarred. Despite its drawbacks, solar is one of the few sources of power that is safe to live next door to.
And while solar might not be able to handle all our energy needs 365 days a year, a vast nationwide network of solar arrays built overhead highway right of ways and connected nation wide would vastly reduce the need for other more dangerous forms of energy and the problems they bring. No more 3 Mile Islands, no more ash pond leaks, no more coal smoke in the air...
Considering our close proximity to the Dan River where Sunday, 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash were released from a Duke Energy power plant, and the fact that over 20% of Greensboro's population lives below the poverty level in a region that is rated the second hungriest in the nation, Greensboro should be lobbying Washington to create a national jobs program beginning right here in Greensboro to build this nationwide system, save us from the dangers of our current systems of energy and put us back to work.
It's time to develop the sky above us.
We have the highways, railroads, airports, logistics, universities and manufacturing base here in Greensboro to make it happen but do our leaders have the wisdom, vision and political will? We have hundreds and hundreds of acres of shovel ready indstrial parks empty, waiting...
Greensboro has many non Interstate thorofares that could also generate electricity.
The program I'm proposing would provide revenue to the various governments involved by leasing the space above highway right-of-ways to companies wanting to build solar arrays. To meet demand for new solar panels new factories would be required. It is my wish that all manufacturing of panels and components necessary take place in the USA. Millions of tons of steel, aluminum and copper would be necessary. By making the necessary changes in law to make this possible a boom in the US economy could take place in the private sector.
And frankly, I don't think any long term subsidies are necessary.
Please join me in calling on Greensboro Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan and the Greensboro City Council to make this happen locally with or without Washington's help and demand that Greensboro's paid lobbyist in Washington work to make this happen. Share this with everyone you know, no matter where they live and help Greensboro live up to its name and change the world for the better.
Spread the word. Share with everyone you know. America should be demanding a jobs program to put us back to work building this vast solar network and restoring the United States economy.
