UC Merced Project Scientist Brandi McKuin and UCOP Senior Multimedia Producer Zak Long walk along one of Project Nexus’ solar arrays. (Credit: Fig. 1 by University of California)

California is taking the first steps in realizing an idea to save billions of gallons of water each year and produce enough clean energy to power a city the size of Los Angeles for nine months annually.

The simple but brilliant concept? Cover as much of California’s roughly 4,000 miles of irrigation canals with solar canopies as possible.

After almost a decade of careful study and planning, the highly anticipated Project Nexus, a private/public/academic partnership between the California Department of Water Resources, Turlock Irrigation District, and Solar Aquagrid — based on research by UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz — is online, generating electricity and data, with scientists and onlookers excited by the early results.

Read the full story from the UC Newsroom

Explore California’s solar canals through the newest Fig. 1 video

UC’s award-winning video series provides a beautiful and informative look into the latest solar projects. Watch it below, then visit Fig. 1 on YouTube for more brilliant, science-based videos.

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