0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 24 Jul \ parent \ on: Can Solar Rooftops Power the World? econ
Probably because roads are nationalized and there's no profit motive. I'm pretty sure that's also why we tolerate so many driving related deaths.
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @MarsIronPI 24 Jul
AFAICT there’d be a huge profit margin. Imagine how much the electricity generated by all those solar panels would be worth. It’d probably be enough to pay for road maintenance all by itself.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 24 Jul
I didn't say there's no profit margin, I said there's no profit incentive.
Government employees and representatives don't get paid more for doing innovative things, but they might get fired for doing something innovative that turns into a boondoggle. If we see more road privatization and relaxation of regulations, then entrepreneurs might show up and try things like this.
I doubt it would pay for road maintenance, at least not how they currently do it, which is unfathomably expensive. You also have to expect a high-tech solar road would cost even more to maintain.
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