Electric-utility load-management policies and groundwater irrigation pumping for agriculture

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Energy Syst. Policy; (United States)

OSTI ID:5085370

Agthe, D E; Larson, D L

Electrical utilities are shifting to load management techniques rather than building additional power production facilities. This article examines the impact of time-of-use energy pricing and controlled outages on groundwater pumping for irrigation. The greatest impact appears to fall on farmers pumping groundwater and using gravity surface irrigation of field crops. Several farmer options for off-setting the impact of the utilities' policies are explored. These include legislative action, non-capital adjustment water use changes, and capital-increasing water use changes. It is concluded that although such institutional actions as exemptions or subsidies may ease the farmers' transition from old to new rate structures, such actions are economically inefficient. More effective is technical assistance so that individual farmers can make the most appropriate technological adjustments to the new rates. 14 references.

• Research Organization: Arizona State Univ., Tempe
• OSTI ID: 5085370
• Journal Information: Energy Syst. Policy; (United States), Journal Name: Energy Syst. Policy; (United States) Vol. 9:4; ISSN ESYPB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
296000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320603* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ELECTRICAL PUMPING
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LOAD MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
OUTAGES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRICES
PUBLIC UTILITIES
PUMPING
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
TIME-OF-USE PRICING
WATER
WATER POLICY