What If … ?
Aqueducts Could Power and Preserve California
California has a 4,000-mile network of aqueducts that transport water throughout the state. What if that system could be adapted to conserve the water that runs through it and generate renewable energy to meet the state’s growing demand for power? USC Dornsife is at the forefront of an initiative to do just that.
Challenge
As climate change intensifies, California faces more frequent and severe droughts, while also striving to meet its ambitious goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2030. With much of the state’s water transported through open-air aqueducts, evaporation claims an estimated 63 billion gallons annually — water that could otherwise support communities, ecosystems and agriculture.
At the same time, the transition to renewable energy requires innovative solutions that don’t compete for land needed for housing, farming and conservation.
The Vision
USC Dornsife’s Public Exchange (PX) is leading the California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI), a collaborative effort to explore how covering aqueducts with solar panels could help solve two major challenges at once: reducing water loss from evaporation while generating clean energy.
Bringing together experts from seven universities, nonprofits, government agencies and the private company Solar AquaGrid, the initiative is developing the strategies and decision-making tools needed to make large-scale implementation possible. By tackling policy, economic and environmental hurdles, CSCI is laying the groundwork for a future where California’s aqueducts don’t just deliver water — they help power the state.
Impact
Covering California’s aqueducts with solar panels could conserve enough water to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland while generating clean energy to power up to two million homes.
With a pilot project now underway in the Central Valley, PX’s leadership is helping transform this vision into reality. If successful, other regions could replicate this model, setting a new standard for sustainable infrastructure and marking a pivotal step in the fight against climate change.
