• First solar project over canals completed in the U.S.
• Inflation Reduction Act funds solar panels on Gila River Indian Community canals.
• Project will generate 1.31 megawatts of clean energy.

October 7, 2024 — On Friday, Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo joined White House Senior Advisor Tom Perez, Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, and local community members to celebrate the first energy generation from a new solar project that sits above canals, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

David Palumbo praised the Gila River Indian Community for their leadership in this initiative. He stated, “Our partners at the Gila River Indian Community are at the forefront of utilizing technology to work with Reclamation to conserve water. They are the first to complete a pilot solar over canals project, which will generate renewable energy while conserving water to better inform future projects of this kind.”

Solar Project Leads to Water Conservation.

This innovative solar project received $5.65 million from the Inflation Reduction Act. It covers 2,782 linear feet of the Casa Blanca canal with approximately 2,556 solar panels. These panels are expected to generate 1.31 megawatts of clean energy, supplying at least 2.26 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year to the Gila River Indian Community. Besides providing renewable energy, the project will help conserve water by reducing evaporation.

The data collected from this pilot project will be valuable for future initiatives and investments in similar projects. The overall goal is to enhance climate resilience, especially for communities facing drought and climate change challenges.

Conservation Agreements.

This effort is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, representing the largest investment in climate resilience in U.S. history. The Inflation Reduction Act has allocated $25 million to design, study, and implement solar panel projects over water conveyance facilities.

During his visit to the Gila River Indian Community, Palumbo also took part in groundbreaking ceremonies for two pipeline projects. These projects aim to improve water efficiency and are part of conservation agreements intended to conserve Colorado River water, representing an investment of up to $107 million. They are expected to create a conservation system capable of saving over 73,000 acre-feet of water in the next decade.  The lion’s share of projected water conservation from these agreements is from California’s Imperial Irrigation District, which is being sued by the Sierra Club which complains that the District relied on federal environmental impact statements instead of the state’s environmental impact criteria.

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Image via Bureau of Reclamation News Release: “Biden-Harris Administration joins Gila River Indian Community to celebrate the first power from solar over canals project.”

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