Seven universities unite to propel solar projects over California canal system
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 26, 2025
A coalition of faculty from seven prominent research institutions, including six based in California, has launched an ambitious initiative aimed at scaling up the use of solar panel arrays installed over California’s vast canal infrastructure.
The California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI), driven by researchers at the USC Dornsife Public Exchange in partnership with Solar AquaGrid, seeks to provide critical data and strategic insights to help government agencies, utilities, and communities implement solar canal systems effectively. Their work builds on a 2021 study from the University of California, Merced, published in Nature Sustainability, which projected that spanning the state’s 4,000-mile canal network with solar panels could generate clean power, save land, lower air pollution, and conserve significant volumes of water.
The effort has drawn support from key state agencies overseeing water and energy, including the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), and the California Energy Commission (CEC). Researchers will work closely with these bodies to identify ideal sites, align with existing land and water policies, and foster cooperation with local communities willing to host such projects.
“California is leading the way in exploring innovative solutions to tackle climate change and strengthen our water and energy resilience,” said CNRA Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “We are excited to see top research institutions come together to help deploy solar panels over water canals – a big idea with great potential. Science-driven collaborations like this one are critical to guide our path forward.”
The research team will explore how solar canals can:
– Adapt to shifting energy demands;
– Provide added value that rivals other distributed solar technologies;
– Support existing canal maintenance and operations;
– Comply with current regulatory frameworks for land and water;
– Deliver benefits to communities where the infrastructure is deployed.
Participating institutions include USC, UC Merced, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC College of the Law San Francisco, San Jose State University, and the University of Kansas. The group brings together a multidisciplinary team of scholars whose work is supported by an advisory council composed of leaders from the public, private, and academic sectors. Chaired by Solar AquaGrid, this council features members from DWR, CNRA, CEC, California Forward, New Energy Nexus, Environmental Policy Center, and Stanford Water in the West.
Not all canals are suitable for solar development, but the UC Merced study estimated that full coverage of California’s exposed canals could:
– Generate enough electricity to power approximately 2 million homes annually;
– Save enough water to support up to 2 million residents each year;
– Avoid the need to develop up to 50,000 acres of land by using existing infrastructure.
Additional advantages noted in the study include potential reductions in canal maintenance costs due to shading, increased solar panel efficiency thanks to water’s cooling effects, and the creation of local job opportunities in system installation and upkeep.
Despite recent years of heavy rainfall and flood emergencies, California’s climate scientists warn that the state will continue experiencing extreme weather shifts between floods and prolonged drought. Given climate change’s intensifying impact, sustainable water use and expanded clean energy generation remain crucial priorities for California’s future.
The CSCI aligns with the state’s broader environmental ambitions, including its target of 100 percent clean electricity by 2045 and its 30×30 land conservation pledge. This initiative follows the launch of Project Nexus in 2023, California’s first pilot for solar canals, now under construction in the Central Valley. That project exemplifies a public-private-academic collaboration among the Turlock Irrigation District, Solar AquaGrid, UC Merced, and the California Department of Water Resources.
More information about CSCI, including a media kit, faculty details, and research focus areas, is available at: https://publicexchange.usc.edu/csci-media-kit/.
Related Links
USC Price School of Public Policy
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com
