Very OT - Solar Freaking Roadways

Even though some nations like Germany have succeeded to generate, at times, greater than half their expended energy via solar technology, that remains financially costly (prohibitively for many), and would have been impossible in Germany without government subsidies that we'd call extreme.

I think the pursuing iceless roads in the north is worthwhile. The car crashes, labor costs, metal corrosion of salt, and destruction of life in waterways (especially streams) by rising salinity all call for the change. However, heating (whether by solar or some other route) doesn't appear to be the most promising possibility. 

I think the most promising technologies will come from the realm of material science. We need cheap, durable materials that are sensationally HYDROPHOBIC.

Here's a video of a group using laser etching to create nigh perfectly hydrophobic metals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLegmQ8_dHg

I am seriously skeptical of the long term durability of surfaces that require a perfect maintained microarchitecture to maintain their hydrophobicity. But the point is that this avenue brings comparatively small post-installation costs. All we need is to identify the right material and convince the government that the problem is severe and, in the long term, entirely worth the tall start-up/transition costs.

Solar panels are very expensive compared to roads, almost certainly more prone to needing maintenance (which would also be more expensive), and less efficient than a solar panel angled for maximal exposure.

I'm in the camp of people who think the future is terrifying... This isn't, hell this is great, but just wait till actual artificial intelligence comes along... (either super awesome or fucking terrible with no middle ground) When there are super computers and robots that are exponentially smarter than us, I'm gonna live in the Canadian wilderness in an effort to be safe, and theyll still find me. 

It sounds like I'm crazy, but when robots are smart enough to come up with technology themselves, shits gonna go down

We do such a spectacular job maintaining our infrastructure now, I can only imagine how drastically increasing the maintenance cost will help.

The cost versus energy generated will kill it.