The Ray urges use of interstate right‑of‑way for solar, EV charging and faster transmission to support resilience and economic sites
Loading...
Summary
The Ray told the committee that interstate right‑of‑way can host solar, EV charging and transmission build‑outs more quickly and with lower permitting and land costs than greenfield sites, and described modeling tools and pilot projects on I‑85 the nonprofit developed with GDOT and federal partners.
Ali Kelly, executive director of The Ray, told the House Economic Development & Tourism Committee that the nonprofit has used an 18‑mile I‑85 corridor in west Georgia to pilot infrastructure projects — from solar‑powered electric‑vehicle charging to connected‑vehicle striping and rubber‑modified pavement — and that the corridor work is intended to scale nationally.
Kelly said The Ray was founded after the 2015 General Assembly memorial designation of 18 miles of I‑85 as the Ray Anderson Memorial Highway, and that the nonprofit has leveraged partnerships with the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to bring demonstration projects to the corridor.
"We have leveraged our philanthropy to bring 14 infrastructure projects to that 18 mile corridor," Kelly said, describing projects that include the state’s early solar‑powered EV chargers, connected‑vehicle pilots, a rubber‑modified asphalt demonstration that improves stormwater handling and pollinator‑friendly right‑of‑way solar.
Why it matters: Kelly told the panel that interstate right‑of‑way offers public land, streamlined environmental processes in many cases, and fewer local land‑use conflicts than converting farmland or parks. She also argued that right‑of‑way projects could shorten transmission lead times from a decade‑plus to a few years, which she said matters to companies seeking reliable on‑site energy, resilience and new industrial development.
Key points from the presentation
- Early EV charging and pilots. The Ray installed one of the nation’s first solar‑assisted EV charging stations on interstate right‑of‑way and worked with lawmakers (House Bill 652 was cited in testimony) to secure an exemption from the state EV‑charging tax for that station because commercial transactions on interstate right‑of‑way are limited. Kelly said later pilot stations have used larger arrays, batteries and multiple high‑power ports.
- Right‑of‑way solar and pollinator plantings. Kelly described a project approved in 2016 and commercialized in 2020 on I‑85: a right‑of‑way solar array with pollinator‑friendly ground cover. She said GDOT now has a program to evaluate and approve right‑of‑way solar at multiple sites.
- Mapping and modeling tools. The Ray builds GIS‑based suitability maps for right‑of‑way parcels that account for solar radiation, tree cover, slope, visibility, state transportation improvement plans and other constraints, then generates 3‑D visualizations, estimates of generation and EV‑charging or battery capacity, and conflict screening to inform permitting and community outreach.
- Permitting and NEPA. Kelly said projects located within interstate fence lines can qualify for categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act, which can streamline federal environmental review. She also said federal guidance now prioritizes certain right‑of‑way uses such as solar, transmission and fiber when DOTs evaluate projects.
- Transmission and economic development linkage. Kelly argued that siting localized generation and transmission in right‑of‑way can serve adjacent industrial assets directly, reducing customer exposure to outages and supporting resilience for large facilities — a point the committee heard earlier in presentations about data centers and manufacturing.
Questions and follow‑up
Committee members asked about acreage and generation potential; Kelly said the Ray’s analysis identified more than 12,000 right‑of‑way acres in Georgia that are suitable for solar. Members also asked whether utilities prefer overhead or underground lines; Kelly said preferences vary by state and project, with some Southeast projects using overhead distribution.
Ending
The Ray said it has additional projects planned for the Ray Highway in 2025 and is continuing to provide mapping, modeling and technical assistance to DOTs, utilities and industrial partners. Committee members asked for and were offered follow‑up details and project materials; no vote or formal action was recorded.
