Solar-over-canal program announced in Merced Co.: what you need to know
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SANTA NELLA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – State and federal leaders aim to hit two birds with one stone in a new solar-covered-canal pilot program. That program, announced by state and federal partners Thursday afternoon, promises to save water and create renewable energy simultaneously.
WATCH: Solar-over-canal project announced in Merced County
The announcement came on the banks of the Delta-Mendota Canal intake in Western Merced County and detailed how $15 million of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act would be used.
The plan is to place three different solar panel prototypes over the Delta-Mendota Canal to record data over five years to find which system is the best option, and to help decide whether the program could be a viable solution and whether it could be implemented statewide.
The program is based on a 2021 UC Merced study exploring what would happen if the state’s roughly four thousand miles of canals were topped with the renewable energy source.
The study found the program could massively save water.
“Some estimates that 1-2% of evaporation benefits would generate savings of about 65 billion gallons a year, enough for two million people,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The study also explained that placing solar panels on canals could create a ton of energy. UC Merced estimates 13 gigawatts of power would be generated a year, which Gov. Newsom put in perspective Thursday afternoon.
“13 gigawatts. Put that in perspective, a gigawatt roughly, plus or minus every year is the entire energy consumption of San Francisco. 13 gigawatts if we were able to provide this canopy for our canals all up and down the state of California,” said Newsom. “You couldn’t read that without thinking why the hell wouldn’t we do this 25-to-30 years ago?”
Data is still required, but politicians, like Democratic Congressman Jim Costa, who initially authored the Canal Conveyance Capacity Restoration Act, which included funding for the project in the Inflation Reduction Act, say if followed through to cover every canal, the project would check every box.
“This is about the environment. This is about our urban water needs and this is about agriculture. These are the three critical elements for California,” said Costa.
