Your car might help give PG&E a run for its money if a Los Angeles assemblyman has his way.

The Assembly on Wednesday passed 65-3 a bill by Democrat Mike Gatto to have the state Energy Commission research the possibility of turning roads and rail lines into mini-electric power plants by using piezoelectric technology.

“The science works as follows: When a car or truck passes over pavement, the pavement vibrates ever so slightly,” Gatto’s office said in a statement. “You can feel these vibrations if you have ever stood on a road as a truck speeds by. By placing relatively inexpensive piezoelectric sensors underneath a road, the vibrations produced by the vehicles can be converted into electricity, which can be used to power roadside lights, call boxes and neighboring communities.”

Gatto’s office said the technology is in use on Israeli highways and Italy is planning to do the same on a stretch of the Venice-to-Trieste Autostrada.

“The technology can be placed under asphalt during regularly scheduled repaving and does not affect the vehicles traveling on the road, in terms of ‘road feel,’ fuel efficiency or emissions,” the statement said.

Gatto said in the statement that the technology long has been used by the Navy (albeit in a reverse loop) in its sonar systems.

“California is the car capitol of the world,” Gates said. “We have a chance here to generate power and revenue from one of our state’s greatest assets: Our roads.”

The bill, which now goes to the state Senate, would use money already set aside by the state for green technology.