New research project aims to help deploy solar power over canals

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Facing severe droughts and other threats posed by climate change, California policymakers must find ways to conserve water and generate clean energy.

Two researchers from the USC Price School are examining a possible solution to both problems.

Professor Detlof von Winterfeldt and Assistant Professor Santina Contreras are part of a research project analyzing the viability of deploying “solar canals” – covering large sections of California’s 4,000 miles of exposed canals with solar panels.

The California Solar Canal Initiative (CSCI) aims to identify the best opportunities for solar canals throughout the state, both where they make sense and where they don’t.

Why it matters: Solar canals have the potential to produce several benefits: reducing evaporation of vital water, conserving land by using existing infrastructure, and generating electricity more sustainably. The projects could also provide economic benefits to the communities where solar canals are built.

Sunstone Management, an investment and consultancy firm that advises local governments, has growing ties with the USC Price School and its students.

Three years ago, the firm launched the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge, an annual competition that has tasked more than 100 students with helping 13 local governments create jobs in their communities.
The firm has also employed five USC Price alumni, including its CEO, John Keisler.

Why it matters: The Sunstone connections validate a big reason why many students choose USC Price: the Trojan Family network of alumni.

Read about Sunstone’s fruitful relationship with USC Price.

USC Price School Dean Chris Boone is known for his passion for sustainability, but that’s hardly his only interest.

When he isn’t on USC’s campus, he’s often looking at the stars, snapping photos of celestial objects with his astrophotography camera.

In his words: One “reason why I love astrophotography is it gives me perspective,” Boone said. “It makes me realize that we’re all made of stardust and we’ll eventually return to stardust. And sometimes the little daily problems pale in comparison to the scale and the magnitude of not just our galaxy, but galaxies beyond.”

Boone also has a passion and a plan for supporting students. He discussed those topics, as well as his vision for the USC Price School, in a wide-ranging interview.

Read the discussion with the Price School’s new Dean.

You don’t have to be a scientist, engineer or astronaut to support NASA’s missions to Mars or the moons of Jupiter.

Just ask Cindy Lee, a Master of Public Policy (MPP) graduate from the USC Price School.

Lee, who earned her MPP in 2020, is Legislative and Government Affairs Specialist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which has been at the forefront of America’s space program since it was founded in 1936.

Lee’s job is to build relationships with state and local governments, informing elected officials about JPL’s work (and inviting them to see rocket launches) or advocating for space missions, among other tasks.
“I like to describe it as space advocacy,” Lee said.

Read more about Lee’s NASA work.

🎧 New PricePod: Shaun Harper, a University and Provost Professor, joins the show to discuss policymakers’ actions against DEI and the potential consequences. Take a listen

💰 Money for Mayors: A USC Price study finds presidents from both parties use federal funds during election years to help mayoral candidates who share their political affiliation. Read more

🎂 Happy 100th Birthday: The PIPE Collaborative, which convenes faculty and graduate students with common interests in political institutions and political economy, celebrated its 100th workshop. Congratulations

The New York Times featured William Resh in a story about veterans being affected by the Trump Administration’s push to shrink the civil service. Associated Press interviewed Resh about an administrative judge who defied the administration’s directive to halt LGBTQ+ cases.

Los Angeles Times spoke with Shaun Harper about Hollywood studios and entertainment firms backing off their DEI commitments. Australian Broadcasting Corporation featured Harper in an episode about the DEI debate in the U.S.

Financial Times quoted Geraldine Knatz about how U.S. ports are adopting automation to handle rising import volumes.

NPR talked to Dana Goldman about Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the NIH.

Forbes and The Hill interviewed Christian Grose about the state of the California governor’s race.

The Wall Street Journal featured Richard Green about the challenge of getting homeowners insurance in areas that burned during the Los Angeles wildfires.

Marketwatch featured Green in a segment about the best times of year to sell a house.

The Christian Science Monitor quoted Mindy Romero about Bernie Sanders seizing the political moment as Democrats struggle to respond to Trump.

Spectrum News 1 interviewed Adam Rose about consumers spending money at small businesses as part of a “national economic blackout” protest.

This represents only a portion of recent USC Price faculty media.