Energy Infrastructure and Interagency Coordination
While many view the roadside right-of-way (ROW) as a scenic backdrop to a long commute or road trip, The Ray envisions this vast network of public land as the nation's most strategic energy corridor to accelerate production and meet demand. We see the future of the ROW as corridors of commerce: a land-use solution for all types of energy infrastructure that will address the nation’s exponential growth in electricity demand while promoting affordability by colocating transmission lines along our highways. To expedite this future in which the modern U.S. grid is developed within the transportation ROW, The Ray is promoting collaborative state governance to stack resources and unlock the potential of integrating energy and mobility.
Launching the ROW Transmission Deployment Tool
The centerpiece of The Ray’s unique approach and value-add to the progress of ROW energy colocation was launched in early 2025, signifying a major breakthrough in our technical capabilities. By the first quarter, our Geospatial Solutions team launched The Ray’s overhead transmission deployment tool. This advanced GIS application enables us to provide data-driven insights that were previously out of reach for stakeholders, empowering our partners to identify the most viable corridors for energy transmission infrastructure with unprecedented precision. With this technical breakthrough, The Ray has expanded its role as a lead partner for ROW transmission and energy deployment, executing new subcontracts with Energy & Environmental Economics (E3) to deliver an extensive study of transmission infrastructure opportunities for the Maine Department of Energy Resources (MaineDOER) and other private sector partners.
A New Era for Collaboration
One of the greatest barriers to building a modernized energy grid isn't just technology—it’s the silos that separate our public agencies and utility sector. To bridge this gap, our State Partnerships & Strategy team led the creation of an interagency working group within the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), which formally launched at the start of the new year. This initiative will serve as a national example of how transportation and energy agencies can coordinate early to accelerate the integration of high-voltage transmission lines into suitable highway ROW.
This working group, along with our longstanding partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), is unlocking the potential of colocation projects at scale for state DOTs and industry stakeholders to maximize resource potential. The Ray’s advanced GIS tools facilitate a comprehensive approach by bringing together diverse stakeholders—including energy, broadband, and transportation leaders—to inform project siting and development through shared access to data. This collaborative framework empowers State DOTs to secure the deep energy and connectivity resources required for next-generation mobility systems. By integrating these utilities into the ROW today, we are establishing the resilient, multi-use corridors essential for the future of energy infrastructure and transportation.
Driving National Energy Independence
While the benefits of colocation are clear, the work ahead involves complex, long-term, multi-agency planning to convert the nation’s ROW into a multilayered, interconnected energy and mobility grid. Through our partnership with Esri, we have developed advanced geospatial analysis tools to move beyond isolated tests toward a stewardship model for the idle roadside.
Our 2026 roadmap features a nationwide transmission-suitability analysis, further expanding the capacity to colocate high-voltage transmission and fiber-optic broadband. At the federal level, we are eager to help identify key infrastructure suitable for the highway ROW, transforming over 150,000 miles of public land into vital corridors of commerce. By treating the ROW as a strategic asset for the energy transition, we are building the technical and regulatory frameworks necessary to support a resilient future.