Friday Top of the Scroll: California unveils research into ‘floating solar’ project over major canal
Canals in California may soon feature a new look — solar panel canopies, designed to stop evaporation and soak up the sun’s rays, created under a new project funded with help from the federal government to boost green energy infrastructure. Governor Gavin Newsom joined staff from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday to highlight a new “solar-over-canal” project along one of the state’s primary aqueducts. The pilot project proposes placing a solar canopy to “float” over a major waterway as a source of renewable energy that can also prevent loss of precious water through evaporation. Adam Nickels, Deputy Regional Director at the Bureau of Reclamation, said that the Biden Inflation Reduction Act helped make it possible to pick a portion of the Delta-Mendota Canal for placement of a solar panel in Merced County.
Related articles:
- Fox 26 – Fresno: San Luis & Delta-Mendota Authority gets $15M for floating solar project
- Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: More power, more water: Solar-over-canal projects are coming to California