Water scarcity continues to threaten and disrupt California’s economy. The State Water Project cannot satisfy demand. Even worse, our invisible underground water supplies are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. Because the sea level is rising and the Delta levees are sinking, salty water is slowly infiltrating the Delta, which is the source of the canal system’s water. Worse again, the rising sea is pressuring ever more salty water into our depleted underground aquifers. In response to our severe drought, California might renovate its water infrastructure in conjunction with the development of the High-Speed Rail project.
With the relentless changes brought on by climate destabilization, it's time to comprehensibly redirect our water, energy, and transportation policies toward more sustainable systems. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has stated, "The Authority has committed to using 100 percent renewable energy for powering the system." I propose that our State's High-Speed Rail can achieve its goal by using clean, renewable electricity generated by a "Photovoltaic Aqueduct System" located in California's Central Valley.
California can repair and improve its vital water system while producing new revenues for government, income for developers, and clean electricity for the nearby High-Speed Rail line. I have formulated the following model: shading selected portions of California's canals with photovoltaic generators. This project will help our utilities meet government mandates to provide renewable electricity. Depending on location and the developer's resources, these electricity-generating structures might span the canal like a canopy, shade the canal like an awning, or float on the canal like a barge. The reasons we recommend money-generating, water-saving, photovoltaic canal shields are listed below: