So you know about solar panels on your home and in your community, but how else could we create more solar power other than in our residential areas? Scientists agree that solar power is the essential key to the future of green energy. The United States government aims for solar to account for 40% of electricity by 2035 even though last year in 2020 it only accounted for 3%. To reach this goal, a plan out of the state of Georgia creates an interesting prospect!
Along their interstates, “The Ray” has created solar farms along with habitats for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. About 76% of the land in Georgia is either forest or farmland, and environmentalists agree that tearing down either of these areas for solar would do more harm than good to the environment and for our society. With less farmland in production, it’ll heavily impact food scarcity and in the near future we may be questioning how to feed our population. The Ray asked the University of Texas to determine how much available public land along the interstates is available for solar farms similar to those in Georgia. They found that approximately 52,000 acres would make it possible to power up to 3.1 million homes and 12 million electric vehicles. With this in mind, it would make electric vehicle charging more accessible along the highways. This project would also generate the state income by having the government charge land fees and maintain their RECs and charging a fee for them. With this project, Georgia senator Jon Ossoff is hoping to empower other states to introduce legislation to use US highway public land for solar farms.
Solar is a huge step to fighting climate change as a whole. Whether it be a government funded project or owning your own solar system, we can lead our country into a renewable, green energy future! By going solar with Phoenix Exteriors, you can be a big part of the climate change our planet needs.
