Photo: Thomas Coker | Unsplash
The western United States is now in its worst drought in at least 1,200 years. With groundwater being overpumped, shrinking water supplies are making climate change personal for millions of people. Professor of engineering at the University of California, Roger Bales, has been working with colleagues to protect water supplies and boost renewable energy to protect the climate. About 4,000 miles of canals transport water across California. The first prototypes of solar panels for wide and narrow span canals are in development in California's Central Valley. Called the solar-canal solution, the panels have several benefits. They reduce evaporation of water and help meet the state's renewable energy goals while saving money. The shade from the panels limits growth of weeds that block drains and restrict water flow. A 2021 study showed that covering all 4,000 miles of California's canals with solar panels would save more than 65 billions gallons of water annually. And it's estimated the panels could provide 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is about half of the new sources the state needs to add to meet its clean electricity goals.
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