Here’s What California Is Learning From Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals

Key Points:

• California aims to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2045, currently generating 62% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily solar, requiring significant expansion of solar and storage capacity.
• Solar Aquagrid, co-founded by Jordan Harris and Robin Raj, proposes installing solar panels over California’s 4,000 miles of open water canals to generate clean energy and reduce water evaporation, demonstrated by their Project Nexus in Turlock.
• Project Nexus has shown multiple benefits, including reduced evaporation, less algal growth, improved water quality, and faster permitting compared to developing solar on undeveloped land, while also preserving natural habitats.
• Challenges include coordinating multiple stakeholders managing canals, infrastructure costs for power transmission, and varying canal conditions, with some urban areas like Contra Costa County finding solar canals impractical due to space and maintenance constraints.
• The California Department of Water Resources is awaiting the final report on Project Nexus before deciding on further investments, emphasizing the need for scientific validation to justify scaling up such infrastructure changes.