HR7424-118

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Renewable Roadsides Act.

2. Study on developing available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System for solar energy generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission or distribution facilities Not later than December 31, 2025, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy shall 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. When conducting the study required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy shall— evaluate the suitability of available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System for the development of facilities for solar energy generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission or distribution; and identify the issues and policies impeding the development of such facilities on available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System, including existing laws, safety concerns, land suitability, development feasability, and competition with other priorities that the Federal Government has identified for such Federal land. Not later than December 31, 2026, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly issue to Congress a report, which shall include— the results of the study required under subsection (a); recommendations on how to facilitate 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; the identification of Federal requirements for developing such facilities on available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System, including any safety or environmental issues involved in developing such facilities and the steps required to mitigate such issues; and recommendations for a process for entities to apply to the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy for a lease, an easement, or a joint-use agreement to build and operate such facilities on available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System for a term that is not shorter than the useful life of such facilities. In this section, the term National Highway System means the Federal-aid highway system described in section 103(b) of title 23, United States Code.