Oregon Solar Highway Project a Go

Those progressive folks in Oregon have announced a $1.3 million project that will add 8,000 square feet of solar panels to a major highway — the I-5 and I-205 interchange, for locals — that will generate 112,000 kilowatt hours of energy a year.

The output isn’t as massive as some solar farms planned in California, but because it utilizes land that is already “wasted” space, it shows that you don’t need a massive desert to set up solar shop. 

Of course, 112,000 kilowatt hours isn’t much compared to the 45 million that Oregon uses on its transportation system alone every year — traffic signals, buildings, ramp-metering, etc. — but it’s a start.

Oregon begins building first “solar highway” project (Engadget)