[Lost Island]

Not just solar panels (from a fairly recent article). This company is already deploying these turbine systems in canals in Colorado. Thousands of miles of irrigation canals in the US alone could be fitted with these.

Mini hydro company raises $18M to generate power in canals



BY ISABELLA O’MALLEY
Published 9:19 PM EDT, April 13, 2023

A startup business that places small turbines in irrigation canals to generate electricity has raised $18.4 million to scale up its technology for carbon-free hydropower.

Emily Morris, CEO and founder of Emrgy, said her inspiration for making electricity in places that some people might find unlikely was seeing water swiftly flowing through the vast network of U.S. irrigation infrastructure. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation alone operates 1,600 miles of main canals.

In the same way that putting solar on rooftops avoids disturbing the land, making use of existing canals means the hydropower turbines don’t have to disturb the natural environment.

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Associated Press