Could U.S. Get 20% of Electricity from Solar Under Power Lines? | john-farrell-ilsr

Let's go a step further... Use the towers themselves as hybrid vibration, wind, solar and gravity power and storage framework. Definitely a step in the right direction though... | cindy s martin

Could U.S. Get 20% of Electricity from Solar Under Power Lines? | john-farrell-ilsr

What if the U.S. could get 20 percent of its power from solar near transmission lines without covering virgin desert?

It could. Transmission right-of-way corridors, vast swaths of vegetation-free landscape to protect high-voltage power lines, could provide enough space for over 600,000 megawatts of solar PV. These arrays could provide enough electricity to meet 20 percent of the country's electric needs. (Note: There may not be good interconnection opportunities for solar under these huge towers, so this should be read as a land use discussion rather than technical analysis of interconnection to the grid.)

It starts with the federal Government Accountability Office, which estimates there are 155,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines in the United States (defined as lines 230 kilovolts and higher). According to at least two major utilities (Duke Energy and theTennessee Valley Authority), such power lines require a minimum of 150 feet of right-of-way — land generally cleared of all significant vegetation that might come in contact with the power lines...

Read the Full Story: Could U.S. Get 20% of Electricity from Solar Under Power Lines? | john-farrell-ilsr