California’s Delta-Mendota Canal is set to undergo a transformative initiative with a $15 million investment to install solar panels. The project aims to cover the canal with solar arrays, offering the dual benefit of generating renewable energy while mitigating water loss through evaporation. It is being spearheaded by collaborations between the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the University of California-Merced.
“As with so much of our work, Reclamation could not achieve our mission without the valuable engagement of our partners,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a press release. “These projects will help inform similar projects to better understand their impacts and make that information publicly available so that we can all understand the scale and corresponding benefits they provide.”
The project will serve as an example to assess the viability, costs, and benefits of this approach. The project aims to validate floating photovoltaic design for moving water and address maintenance issues associated with panels on a canal. Moreover, it also seeks to better understand the potential for power generation and quantify impacts on water quality.
The Delta-Mendota Canal project is a part of similar work in Oregon and Utah. Projects are being supported by a total investment of $19 million by the Department of Interior. The effort is part of the Investing in America agenda with funding support coming from the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West