Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren't they widespread? | Euronews

One study estimates that covering California's canals with solar panels could generate enough energy to power Los Angeles for most of the year.

Back in 2015, California's dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25 per cent reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. Brown also set a goal for the state to get half its energy from renewable sources, with climate change bearing down. Yet when entrepreneurs Jordan Harris and Robin Raj went knocking on doors with an idea that addresses both water loss and climate pollution - installing solar panels over irrigation canals - they couldn't get anyone to…

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