Stealing an idea from India, the government of California will install a canopy of solar panels over a section of canal that brings fresh water to agricultural lands and population areas, a project that will both create power and save water, CBS News reports.
Called “Project Nexus,” the $20 million will cover 8,500 square feet over three separate portions of the Turlock Irrigation District canals in central California. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2023. This is a pilot program for a potentially much larger project; a study by the University of California, Merced calculated that covering the state’s 4,000 miles of canals would save 63 billion gallons of water while generating 13 gigawatts of power each year, enough to power about three million homes. The project would also prevent plant life from growing in and clogging waterways.
India started installing solar panels on sections of canal in 2012 with one megawatt project and has continued to develop similar solar projects.