Turlock Irrigation District (TID) in Turlock, California, is planning the country’s first pilot project to build solar panel canopies over a portion of the water utility’s existing canals. Project Nexus is planned as a multi-use solar project, assessing water evaporation reduction from mid-day shade and wind mitigation; improvements to water quality and reduced canal maintenance through reduced vegetative growth; and generating renewable energy.

Project Nexus is a public-private-academic partnership among TID, the Department of Water Resources (DWR), Solar AquaGrid and the University of California, Merced.