California may build solar panels alongside highways to power homes

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday gave the greenlight for the state’s transportation and energy officials to figure out how to install solar panels, battery storage and other renewable energy sites along highways.

The bill, named SB 49, commissions California’s Department of Transportation to establish clear guidelines for companies and public agencies to develop highway-side renewable energy.

SB 49 gives the department until the end of 2025 to collaborate with the state’s utilities and energy agencies to “evaluate the suitability” of the empty land along the state’s highways for renewable energy production and storage sites.

According to the state’s Department of Transportation, California has 250 state highways containing more than 15,000 miles of road.