We now know that we must decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.  Between the environmental hazards and the threat to our national security fossil fuels cause the debate for whether or not we need to move to greener energy sources is over.

One way to lessen our energy usage would be to outfit our street lamps and stop lights with solar panels.  Driving on the highway one can already see this technology in use on many lighted road signs.  Why not extend that technology to all street lamps, lighted street signs, and stoplights?

The benefits in the reduction of energy usage are clear.  There is also a safety advantage.  With our current system, when an area looses power street lamps and stoplights do not function.  This is an undeniable safety hazard.  If our systems were powered by solar this safety issue would disappear.  A town in Florida has already implimented solar power on its street lamps, lessening the safety hazard of hurricane induced power outages.

This is a sensible and necessary upgrade of our power grid.  We must act swiftly on this issue.