Congressman Jim Costa and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are announcing 15 million dollars in funding to install solar panels over the Delta Mendota Canal.
This is part of an effort to study how much water can be saved by shielding it from the sun and the amount of energy produced.
Congressman Costa says it’s a groundbreaking investment to advance the integration of renewable energy into valley water systems.
A UC Merced study estimates that 63 billion gallons of water could be saved by covering California’s 4,000 miles of canals with solar panels which in turn could also generate 13 gigawatts of power.
According to a news release that’s enough power to light up Los Angeles through most of the year.
