Analysis of feasibility of electrical load management for irrigated agriculture in California

Book · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6009924

An initial feasibility study which identified ways agricultural irrigators might adjust their operations to accommodate this transition to time-of-use rates is reported. This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of managing the electrical load of irrigated agriculture in California. More specifically, it was directed at evaluating the effects of reshaping the patterns of electrical energy use for pumping and determining the impact of such changes on the water delivery operations of districts and irrigation activities of California farmers. The load management would consist of reducing all or some of the pumping load during the 12 noon to 6 pm period Monday through Friday, when demands for other uses are collectively at their maximum. This type of management would enable the use of a certain amount of existing generating capacity for meeting the overall peak load demands and would thereby forestall the need to construct new generating capacity. This report does not recommend any particular program, nor does it attempt to address full cost effectiveness analyses of the programs it reviews. Because it is an initial study, the report identifies but does not attempt to analyze all positive or negative impacts on agriculture. The report indicates that load management will require large capital investments by districts and farmers. There has been no consideration of the ability of agriculture to finance the facilities necessary to implement load management. Also, the economic advantage envisioned for load management today may not continue long enough to recover invested capital.

• OSTI ID: 6009924
• Report Number(s): NP-23840
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320301* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Energy Sources
AGRICULTURE
CALIFORNIA
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC POWER
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
IRRIGATION
LOAD MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
OFF-PEAK POWER
POWER
POWER DEMAND
USA
WESTERN REGION