I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7424 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy to 

jointly conduct a study on the development of facilities for solar energy 

generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission or distribution on available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway 

System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 20, 2024 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Mr. PETERS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. RUIZ, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. 

LEE of California, and Mr. TRONE) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary 

of Energy to jointly conduct a study on the development 

of facilities for solar energy generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission or distribution on 

available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway 

System, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renewable Roadsides 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON DEVELOPING AVAILABLE FEDERAL LAND 

2 ADJACENT TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYS3 TEM FOR SOLAR ENERGY GENERATION, 

4 SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE, AND SOLAR EN5 ERGY TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION FA6 CILITIES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 

8 2025, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary 

9 of Energy shall jointly conduct a study on the development 

10 of facilities for solar energy generation, solar energy stor11 age, and solar energy transmission or distribution on 

12 available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway 

13 System. 

14 (b) SCOPE OF STUDY.—When conducting the study 

15 required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transpor16 tation and the Secretary of Energy shall— 

17 (1) evaluate the suitability of available Federal 

18 land adjacent to the National Highway System for 

19 the development of facilities for solar energy genera20 tion, solar energy storage, and solar energy trans21 mission or distribution; and 

22 (2) identify the issues and policies impeding the 

23 development of such facilities on available Federal 

24 land adjacent to the National Highway System, in25 cluding existing laws, safety concerns, land suit26 ability, development feasability, and competition with 


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1 other priorities that the Federal Government has 

2 identified for such Federal land. 

3 (c) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2026, the 

4 Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy 

5 shall jointly issue to Congress a report, which shall in6 clude— 

7 (1) the results of the study required under sub8 section (a); 

9 (2) recommendations on how to facilitate the 

10 development of facilities for solar energy generation, 

11 solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission 

12 or distribution on available Federal land adjacent to 

13 the National Highway System; 

14 (3) the identification of Federal requirements 

15 for developing such facilities on available Federal 

16 land adjacent to the National Highway System, in17 cluding any safety or environmental issues involved 

18 in developing such facilities and the steps required 

19 to mitigate such issues; and 

20 (4) recommendations for a process for entities 

21 to apply to the Department of Transportation and 

22 the Department of Energy for a lease, an easement, 

23 or a joint-use agreement to build and operate such 

24 facilities on available Federal land adjacent to the 


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1 National Highway System for a term that is not 

2 shorter than the useful life of such facilities. 

3 (d) NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM DEFINED.—In this 

4 section, the term ‘‘National Highway System’’ means the 

5 Federal-aid highway system described in section 103(b) of 

6 title 23, United States Code. 

Æ 


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