Now we have a chance to put those projections to the test. The pilot, known as Project Nexus , is being funded by the state and is expected to be up and running over two canal sections spanning about 1. Such solar canopies have been suggested for years in the United States to no avail.
The California Department of Water Resources and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation found that previous designs would hinder normal canal maintenance and operation. More promising technologies are emerging and in need of testing. One challenge facing this idea is that water resources in California and across the United States were developed piece by piece, not as an integrated system. And while the Turlock Irrigation District provides both water and electricity, the two resources are not combined in many other places.
For many canal owners and operators, adding electricity means additional responsibilities and costs alongside the longer-term benefits.
Water districts working to maintain their infrastructure and capacity in a changing climate may not see generating renewable energy as a high priority. We hope Project Nexus will begin to address this issue. Another challenge relates to measuring all the benefits of projects that allow existing utility corridors to do double and triple duty.
For the Turlock district, for example, building solar over canals avoids repurposing productive agricultural or natural lands for energy production. An important part of our research is developing a cost analysis that considers all the economic, environmental and social benefits of the system.
