It takes 45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to run Oregon’s state transportation system, energy used for signals, illumination, buildings, ramp metering and more, at a cost last year of more than $4 million. Today this energy comes from mostly non-renewable sources, but change is coming. On Feb. 21, 2008, the Oregon Transportation Commission directed ODOT’s Office of Innovative Partnerships to develop a procurement for up to 2 megawatts of solar energy on ODOT properties, including along the state highway right of way and the interstate system. Leading the way will be the Oregon Solar Highway demonstration project, a public-private partnership with Portland General Electric and US Bank, to build the first-in-the-nation solar array in a freeway interchange. Groundbreaking took place Aug. 7, 2008. Physical construction is expected to begin in mid-September.
The objective of the solicitation is to procure the generation of at least 2,000,000 kilowatt hours per year of renewable electricity from ODOT-owned rights of way, properties, facilities and other built assets, at no greater cost than ODOT is currently paying for power. The successful third party or parties will construct at their own expense, own, operate and maintain the solar systems and sell all electricity generated by the systems to ODOT under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), for a term from 6 to 20 years, or longer.
– from oregon.gov