The U.S. Interior Department is installing solar panels above irrigation canals in the west.
Congress Jim Costa says that it is an effort to advance renewable energy into our water systems.
The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act. Congress has allotted $19 million dollars for the efforts. Projects include deploying up to three floating solar technologies in the Delta Mendota Canal in California, to assess the viability, costs, and benefits.
Similar panels will also be launched in Oregon and Utah.
Interior officials say that installing solar panels over canals could bring many benefits including the generation of renewable energy, creating land saving for open space and ag use, and reducing evaporation losses of the canal.
