SAGLE, Idaho -- A northern Idaho company that aims to turn U.S. highways into a vast, energy-producing network is getting $750,000 from the federal government for the next phase of its project: a solar parking lot.
Solar Roadways of Sagle announced Wednesday it won a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
With the money, Scott Brusaw, the company's founder, aim to create a prototype parking lot for testing.
Brusaw and his wife, Julie, dream of a road system built of 12-foot-by-12-foot solar panels rather than asphalt.
They've already gotten $100,000 from the federal government for their start-up project, which remains in its infancy but offers an alluring alternative to helping supply electricity amid increasing demand.
The company envisions panels encased in sturdy, break-proof glass and connected by underground wires.
