Governor Gavin Newsom says California has officially completed Project Nexus, the nation’s first solar-covered canal pilot, a bold infrastructure project designed to fight drought, cut emissions, and modernize the state’s water system.
Located in Turlock, California’s Central Valley, the pilot places solar panels directly above irrigation canals, turning empty overhead space into a clean energy generator while helping conserve one of the state’s most precious resources: water.
The concept is simple but powerful.
By covering canal sections with solar panels, the system can reduce water evaporation, generate renewable electricity, and potentially limit algae growth and maintenance needs. Instead of using farmland or open desert, the project uses existing infrastructure.
California funded the project with roughly $20 million, partnering with public agencies, private industry, and university researchers to test whether this dual-use model can work at scale.
And the upside could be enormous.
Researchers from UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz estimate that if solar panels were installed across California’s 4,000 miles of canals, the state could save up to 63 billion gallons of water every year.
That is enough water to make lawmakers, farmers, and climate planners pay attention fast.
The same network could also generate major amounts of electricity, potentially enough to power a large city for months while reducing pressure on traditional energy grids.
Newsom framed the launch as proof California is pushing forward on climate innovation while federal leaders continue prioritizing fossil fuels.
Supporters call it a smart, efficient win-win: protect water and create power at the same time.
Critics may question costs, scalability, and maintenance over time. But if the numbers hold up, this could become one of the most copied climate projects in America.
For a drought-prone state constantly battling heat, water shortages, and rising energy demand, California may have just turned a canal into a blueprint for the future.