On: What California is learning from solar panels built over irrigation canals

[happyopossum]

Your takeaway is that every solar installation, regardless of size, now has an $80k/year minimum cost associated with its' mere existence because California can't get its' house in order?

[cjsplat → happyopossum]

Citation needed that this problem is unique to California.

https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150

[sebmellen → cjsplat]

The theft problem seems to be. Texas has marginally higher drug use than California but I’ve never heard of this problem here.

[samudrijan → sebmellen]

https://www.kwtx.com/2026/09/18/waco-man-seeks-probation-the...

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/09/16/affidavit-man-pos...

[gamblor956 → sebmellen]

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/copper-theft-disrupt...

It's a big problem in Texas too. Quick google search returned several hundred articles.

[pm90 → sebmellen]

Texas also has open carry.

[aplummer → pm90]

Ah that’s why Australia and Japan have no copper left, no open carry.

[senordevnyc → sebmellen]

Google “Texas copper theft” and you’ll no longer be able to claim that. Lots of examples.