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The district was interested because projects such as the pilot could help it reach its goals of producing 60% renewable energy by 2030 and being carbon free by 2045. The pilot involves evaluating two differ- ent designs. The panels over the canals are built high enough off the ground so trucks and other maintenance vehicles have ac- cess to the waterways. Construction of angled arrays over narrow, 20-foot-wide canals was finished
earlier this year, and they have begun generating power. McMillan said the pan- els were installed on two different canals— one facing north, the other west—to deter- mine the most efficient siting. The narrow system, which covers a total of about 1,400 linear feet of canals, is rated to produce about 0.5 megawatts of electricity, or enough for about 330 houses annually. A second system, which spans a roughly 100-foot-wide canal and is much shorter
than the narrow arrays, is more of an arched design. Expected to be completed by the end of 2025, the wider system also will gen- erate about 0.5 megawatts of electricity. Frantz said the district hopes Project Nexus answers two questions: Can the dis- trict continue to maintain and operate its canals with the structures over them? And what is the economic viability of the project, including the cost to build similar structures to span both the wide and narrow canals? “We think we’re going to learn a lot,” he said, adding that collecting the information won’t come at the expense of ratepayers. In a separate but related demonstration, TID picked the small Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir on which to test floating solar panels. The project has already passed environmental review, and board mem- bers in 2024 approved a measure to seek Bureau of Reclamation funding to help un- derwrite the floating panels. Construction is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, McMillan said. TID also is exploring building a sim- ilar floating solar system on the Ceres Main Regulating Reservoir adjacent to Project Nexus. “For now, projects like this will be a small part, but it is hoped that over time, we can continue to explore and examine all of the benefits and see if and where and when it makes sense to do additional proj- ects like this,” McMillan said. Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at agalert@cfbf.com.
canals, an electric distribution system and transmission lines near the canals, said Brandon McMillan, TID communications specialist. It also has 250 miles of canals of varying widths, making it attractive as a test bed. “We’ve heard about the concept for years, but when the UC Merced study came out, it ultimately piqued our inter- est,” he said.
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May 21, 2025 Ag Alert 19
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