Using Brownfields and Power Line Right of Way for Solar Arrays

One of the challenges to developing Solar energy in the heavily populated northeast is finding land that is suitable for solar - and available. Typically there is little available undeveloped land. Clearly Solar can be integrated into existing lands and rooftops -but it is challenging for many reasons.

An alternative is to find land that is unusable for other purposes. In Connecticut four such sorts of land come to mind:

• land under high tension power lines. This land has to be clear cut in order to avoid trees hitting the power lines
• land along Metro North and Amtrack rail lines
• land along highways
• land on landfill and hazardous waste sites. 

The photo below was taken in Massachusetts:

The power lines and rail lines are attractive for several reasons:

• there is a lot of it in Connecticut
• it is relatively protected and secured by virtue of its current use.
• it would be proximate to the major conduits of power
• it would be proximate to a major user of power (the electrified portion of the railway)

A recent article suggests that 20% of the power in the US could derive from these sorts of areas. Please see this link:

http://www.ilsr.org/us-could-get-20-its-power-solar-transmission-line-right-way/

Does anyone have information on a the land area that is covered by these three sorts of uses?