#California’s first
#solar-covered canal is now fully online
The 1.6-MW pilot system is among a growing number of initiatives to put solar over
#waterways. The approach could generate gigawatts of power nationwide.
By Maria Gallucci
10 September 2025
"A novel solar power project just went online in California’s
#CentralValley, with panels that span across canals in the vast agricultural region.
"The 1.6-megawatt installation, called
#ProjectNexus, was fully completed late last month. The $20 million state-funded pilot has turned stretches of the Turlock Irrigation District’s canals into hubs of clean electricity generation in a remote area where cotton, tomatoes, almonds, and hundreds of other crops are grown.
"Project Nexus is only the second canal-based solar array to operate in the United States — and one of just a handful in the world. America’s first
#SolarCanal project started producing power in October 2024 for the
#Pima and
#Maricopa tribes, known together as the
#GilaRiverIndianCommunity, on their reservation near
#PhoenixAZ. Two more canal-top arrays are already in the works there.
"In California, the solar-canal system was built in two phases, with a 20-foot-wide stretch completed in March and a roughly 110-foot-wide portion finished at the end of August. Researchers will study the project’s performance over time, while a new initiative led by California universities and the company
#SolarAquagrid will push to fast-track the deployment of solar canals across the state.
"Proponents of this emerging approach say it can provide overlapping benefits.
"Early research suggests that, along with producing power in land-constrained areas, putting solar arrays above water can help keep panels cool, in turn improving their efficiency and electricity output. Shade from the panels can also prevent water loss through evaporation in drought-prone regions and can limit algae growth in waterways.
"Plus, solar canals could offer a faster path to clean energy development than utility-scale solar farms, especially in rural parts of the U.S. where big renewables projects increasingly face community opposition. Placing solar panels atop existing infrastructure doesn’t require altering the landscape, and the relatively small installations can be plugged into nearby distribution lines, avoiding the cumbersome process of connecting to the higher-voltage wires required for bigger undertakings."
Read more:
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-first-canal-array-project-nexus
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