‘Solar canals’: A bright solution for California’s water and energy needs?
USC is leading a consortium of research universities to test a bold plan to blanket California’s vast network of canals with solar panels, a strategy aimed at tackling two of the state’s most pressing challenges: preserving vital water resources and accelerating the shift to renewable energy without disturbing valuable land. The ambitious project — the California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI) — could maximize the state’s water and energy for the good of the public — and the planet.
Organized by the Public Exchange at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the independent advisory firm Solar AquaGrid, CSCI is exploring how fitting solar panels over the state’s vast canal network could simultaneously conserve water, reduce air pollution and generate renewable energy — all while maximizing the use of existing land and infrastructure.