Monte Edwards, who is chairman of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and heavily involved in the transportation issues in Washington DC, said that the city faced a quandary over whether to power trams by overhead or newer underground energy.
However, Mr Edwards believes that the US capital may not have to worry about which route to choose as innovations being rolled out in cities across Europe and Asia make the case for wireless compelling.
In an article for Greater Greater Washington, he highlights the possibilities of using ultra-capacitors that charge every 20 seconds together with batteries than could run trams for up to three kilometres, meaning trams could recharge at a passenger stop before continuing a journey.
As well as the notion that overhead cables are unsightly, a perhaps peculiar problem is thieves stealing the wiring as the Blackpool Gazette reported this week, which helped to disrupt the tram service in the world famous seaside town.
