Today, the Department of the Interior disclosed a $19 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The investment aims to deploy solar panels over irrigation canals in California, Oregon, and Utah, concurrently reducing water evaporation and advancing clean energy objectives.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton revealed the investment alongside state and local officials at the Delta-Mendota Canal floating solar project, which is set to receive $15 million from the funding allocation.
“In partnership with state, Tribal, and local stakeholders, the Interior Department will continue to invest in essential water infrastructure projects that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and invest in communities across the country,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain.
Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton emphasized, “These projects will help inform similar projects to better understand their impacts and make that information publicly available so that we can all understand the scale and corresponding benefits they provide.”
The installation of solar panels in irrigation canals is anticipated to deliver various advantages, including generating renewable energy, reducing canal evaporation losses, enhancing solar panel efficiency due to the cooling effect of water beneath the panels, conserving land for agricultural and open space use, decreasing facility maintenance by mitigating algae and aquatic plant growth, and reducing the energy footprint and carbon emissions needed to operate and maintain the facility.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda represents a significant investment in climate resilience, providing critical resources to bolster Western communities’ resilience to drought and climate change.
The projects in California, Oregon, and Utah are part of an initiative to evaluate water efficiency gains and clean energy production for future larger-scale implementation. Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates $25 million for designing, studying, and implementing projects to cover Reclamation-related water conveyance facilities with solar panels, the projects include:
$15 million for the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Delta-Mendota Canal Floating Solar Project in California: A collaboration between the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Reclamation, and the University of California-Merced will assess the impacts of floating photovoltaic solar arrays on the Delta-Mendota Canal.
$2.55 million for the North Unit Irrigation District, Main Canal Floating Photovoltaics Project in Oregon: The North Unit Irrigation District will install floating photovoltaic solar panels on the Main Canal of the Deschutes Project to evaluate their impact on water efficiency gains and clean energy production.
$1.5 million for the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Solar Panels Over the Layton Canal Project in Utah: The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District will cover existing canals with canal-spanning solar panel structures in the upper portion of the Layton Canal to evaluate technical capability, economic feasibility, and viability for full-scale implementation.
This announcement builds on the previously allocated $5.65 million for the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona to construct and install solar panels over the Casa Blanca Canal.
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Reclamation is investing $8.3 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including rural water, water storage, conservation and conveyance, nature-based solutions, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination. This funding also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, aiming to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments reach disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and pollution burdens.