Tollways aren’t just a faster and more efficient way to get around: they might be ground zero for the next wave of renewable energy and EV infrastructure. I recently chatted with Jonathon Hart, CDM Smith’s toll policy and program development discipline leader, to hear his predictions on how tollways can play a role in the clean energy revolution.

Jonathon, you’ve worked with dozens of tollways across the United States to assess and improve their operations. In your experience, how ready do you think U.S.-based tollways are to embrace renewable energy?

I can't speak for every toll operator in the United States, but my guess would be that whether they're doing it themselves or leasing it out to others, tollways are likely to consider the potential of generating revenue and energy through renewables on their property and right-of-way.

There are substantial grants to offset the cost of solar installation, but the tricky part is whether that toll authority is willing and able to make use of federal funds. A lot of them view themselves as revenue-generating enterprises and feel they shouldn't be using federal funds that would otherwise go to state or local agencies. However, it's absolutely possible and a substantial offset. We could go out and do this today if the political will and supply chain were there. Creating their own grid with solar and battery backup achieves carbon footprint reduction, cost savings, and resiliency all in the same go. So, it's really a win-win for everybody.

How can tollways balance the need to boost capacity while simultaneously minimizing their carbon footprint?

We have to remember that we're talking about an entity that exists to move hundreds of thousands of cars! That in and of itself is antithetical to reducing one's carbon footprint.

But there have been substantial advancements in construction methods that place less strain on the environment. Green materials, green concrete, recycled asphalt … these things all have their place. You can run your construction equipment on compressed natural gas, and presumably, battery at some point in the future. Ultimately, though, you're building a very large road to carry a lot of cars which can’t be offset with just the use of green materials. It's going to be more a matter of remedial measures.

The best thing you can do is to use that excess right-of-way to generate green power that goes back into the grid. It doesn't matter where you generate that green energy—whether you use it on site, whether you send it back into the grid, whether you put it into battery storage—you're generating green energy and that's ultimately what matters.

Do you think that in the next few years, tollways will look into electrifying their fleets, building solar infrastructure along their roadways, and more?

Without a doubt.

Some operators and some vehicles are well-suited for electrification. Pool vehicles in urban areas, for instance, typically make short, infrequent trips. They are stationed at operator-owned maintenance yards, garages, and facilities where EV charging equipment can be easily installed. They're very well-suited to being replaced with EVs, which, as research suggests, come at a lower operating cost than internal combustion engines.

Other vehicles engaged in operations, maintenance, and roadway patrol, or those in rural areas where the distance between operator facilities is greater, may be less suited. It’s important to evaluate fleet usage and needs and plan accordingly. But in many cases, yes, I definitely think we'll see toll facilities and toll operators integrating EVs into their fleets.

Whether we see on-site power generation is really up to the operating authority. These state operators, quasi-governmental operators, private operators … do they see a benefit in it? Is it something that they want to pursue? I think there's an excellent business case to do so. Obviously there's an excellent resiliency and environmental reason to do so. But only time will tell.

We have seen a fair amount of solar being deployed in the right-of-way. Currently, it’s not generating enough renewable energy to make a large impact, but people are exploring it and, in some cases, deploying it as part of their operational systems. My prediction is this “exploratory phase” will continue to gain momentum as more states start feeling the pressure of being left behind.