France to Pave 621 Miles of Roads With Solar Panels

"Ségolène Royal, France’s minister of ecology and energy, has said that the government intends to pave 1,000km of road with photovoltaic panels in the next five years, supplying power to millions of people," reports David Rogers.

"The minister told a conference of transport authorities last week that the tenders for the 'Positive Energy' initiative had already been issued and the tests on the panels would begin in the spring," adds Roger.

If the program manages to achieve maximum effect, the Agency of Environment and Energy Management estimates the project could provide enough power to supply 8 percent of the country's population.

The project will use Wattway panels by a subsidiary of Bouygues called Colas. Colas revealed the Wattway panel in October.

Rob Wile followed up on the news, putting the scale of the proposal in perspective. One thousand kilometers is equal to 621 miles—otherwise known as the distance between Boston and Cleveland.