Flexible Energy Use

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

Utilities across California are paying farmers to shift when they irrigate. The programs help utilities manage grid capacity while putting money in farmers' pockets. Tyler Nuss, who farms vegetables in Northern California, explains the opportunity.

Nuss... "Either a grower is participating to shut off. Turn off or flex their pump use to earn revenue. So they literally get a check from yield energy to participate, or there's other programs that are, that provide them bill savings, right? So kind of adjusting their, their energy use. They can save pretty dramatically on their bill, 10, 20%, um, on their electricity bill, which really matters to growers right now because electricity costs are rising. Their margins are shrinking in general, where we're at with the farm economy, and so what we, what we allow and enable is a way to kind of push back against those tides."

Farmers don't pay anything to participate. The utilities cover all costs and pay the incentives directly.