California is doing something unique with its investment in renewable energy, and seems to be proving beneficial not just for increasing solar power generation.
As the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill strips billions of dollars from solar projects across the nation, California’s $20 million solar gamble called «Project Nexus» is paying off. This venture, which is the first of its kind in the United States, involves the installation of solar panel canopies over sections of irrigation canals. It is funded by the state, and is expected to generate 1.6 megawatts of renewable power.
Central California has thousands of miles of canals that take water from reservoirs and dams and bring it to fields of almonds, grapes, and other crops. Project Nexus is a collaboration between the Turlock Irrigation District, the California Department of Water Resources, the University of California Merced, and a company named Solar AquaGrid. It is meant as a proof of concept, with more projects like it to come in the future should Project Nexus prove successful.
