‘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.

The multidisciplinary team of CSCI researchers, assembled by USC Dornsife Public Exchange, includes faculty from seven research universities: USC; University of California, Merced; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Irvine; University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; San José State University; and University of Kansas.

The goal is to fast-track the deployment of solar power across the state by identifying prime locations and potential community benefits. The team aims to equip decision-makers with the data they need to advance this novel climate solution.

Addressing the West’s water woes

California, long defined by its complex relationship with water, faces an increasingly precarious future. The state must reconcile the water needs of nearly 40 million residents and its sprawling agricultural industry with its ambitious goals for carbon neutrality by 2045 and its desire to conserve 30% of public lands by 2030. With rising demands for new housing and limited land available, researchers hope using existing canal infrastructure can address multiple challenges at once.

CSCI researchers will assess the potential of “solar canals” to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving energy market, remain economically competitive with other renewable energy sources and deliver benefits to local communities.

The researchers are collaborating closely with the state agencies responsible for water, land and energy: the California Department of Water Resources, the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission. An advisory council of government, academia and private sector experts guides the CSCI research.

“California is leading the way in exploring innovative solutions to tackle climate change and strengthen our water and energy resilience,” California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot said in a news release from CSCI. “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.” 

“This project embodies a truly holistic approach, carefully balancing economic, environmental and community considerations to achieve sustainable and equitable outcomes,” said Detlof von Winterfeldt, a professor of systems engineering at the USC Price School of Public Policy and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

“It’s a blueprint for turning complex challenges into actionable solutions,” said Winterfeldt, who is developing CSCI’s comprehensive decision framework. The framework will integrate all the research findings into a tool that will provide decision-makers, project developers and stakeholders with data and insights to identify the best canal locations for arrays of solar panels.

California Solar Canal Initiative: Building on pilot project’s success

CSCI builds on the success of Project Nexus, a 2023 pilot in California’s Central Valley that is testing the feasibility of solar canal technology. USC researchers will build from that pilot project by evaluating how this technology could scale statewide while ensuring community input and equitable distribution of benefits.

“One of the unique aspects of this project is how it brings together diverse disciplines to tackle interconnected issues. It’s not just about water or power; it’s about a range of challenges that require constant communication and collaboration among all teams,” said Santina Contreras, an assistant professor of urban planning and spatial analysis at USC Price who leads the community resilience and benefits analysis arm of CSCI.

Contreras’ team will work closely with community stakeholders to evaluate the impacts of the solar canal project, ensuring that the benefits – such as potential water and energy savings – are benefiting the communities that will be impacted by the development of the projects, as well as those with the greatest need.