How Trump Could Cet His Mexican Border Wall Built for Free

The Problem: Trump won’t get his border wall built for free and it’s a controversial initiative anyway.

The Solution: Instead of a wall, make it a barrier of solar farms.

I have always enjoyed trying to make the case for something I disagree with, I think it gives you a great insight into how the world works and is a phenomenal source of creativity. So, in the run up to US election, I decided to think how Trump could build his wall for free – in fact, I wanted to go further and come up with something the Democrats would support. A solar plant barrier seemed a elegant solution.

The Mexican border is hot and sunny, so would seem to be a great place for solar power. The US needs more renewable energy to help the fight against climate change, so finding sunny places where people are happy for solar plants to be built is important, and Democracts love renewable energy. Trump supporters want a wall, but walls are generally very ineffective at keeping people out, so a better way to do it is also called for.

The solar power barrier works to bring all of these elements together. The idea is for a 1km wide solar plant, either of photo voltaic cells or mirrors focusing the sun’s rays to superheat steam, or most likely a combination of the two. They would have electric fencing all around them to protect the plant, with seismic sensors to detect any digging beneath them. CCTV cameras would be deployed along the whole plant, with image recognition technology to detect breaches. A 1km obstacle course with sensors all the way through would be a big deterrent to potential migrants.

In addition to the fences and sensors, there would be guards every few hundred metres on the Mexican side; not only is this another deterrent, but it also creates jobs in Mexico. Because the power plant generates revenue from selling electricity, all of these security measures are affordable, coming out of the money generated from power, not taxpayer funds.

Furthermore, much of the power generated would be taken into Mexico, creating cheap electricity in towns away from the border, enabling industry to setup and create jobs in Mexico, keeping more people there and reducing the appeal of crossing into the USA.

So, a more humane and eco-friendly response to the migrant debate, and one that could cross the US political divide by appealing to both sides and not costing the US taxpayer a single cent.