Climate Cast ®

Lakes could help harness large amounts of clean energy from the sun using floating solar panels

Technology floating in water
This aerial picture shows the newly built floating solar power plant on the water that can generate 192 mega watts of peak electricity in cooperation between the Indonesian government and Masdar from the UAE, at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, shortly before being inaugurated by President Joko Widodo.
Bay Isomoyo | AFP via Getty Images

Lakes are a part of Minnesota’s Identity. 

While the thousands of lakes are cherished for their recreational accessibility across the state, some of those pristine bodies of water could — one day — help generate a vast amount of clean energy through solar power.

Matt Simon wrote about floating solar panels for Grist. Simon talked to MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner about floatovoltaics.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.