Farmers switch from diesel-powered irrigation

phantom power

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:20 AM
Original message

Farmers switch from diesel-powered irrigation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Under pressure from diesel prices that have doubled in the last year, farmers in the arid regions of the United States are increasingly abandoning the fuel in favor of electricity to run their irrigation systems.

"Farmers are just switching off (their diesel engines) as fast as they can," said Wade Hill, owner of the diesel distributor Happy Jack's Petroleum in Brule, Nebraska.

Farmers in the dry areas of Kansas and Nebraska, as well as the Texas panhandle, depend on pumps powered by either diesel, natural gas, or electricity, to draw water out of wells to water their crops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080602/us_nm/diesel_agriculture_electricity_dc

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kestrel91316

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:29 AM
Response to Original message

1. Since they are gping with electricity, why not SOLAR????

It's easy and not very expensive, IIRC, to have a solar-powered water pump. Lots of farms and off-grid homes have them.

Oh, and wind power pumped water in the Midwest LONG before we had electricity.

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phantom power

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:32 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Because the electricity they buy from the grid is cheaper.

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kestrel91316

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:34 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. "Cheaper". Right. I sure wish energy costs reflected the current reality,

what with global warming and foreign wars to secure energy supplies and all........solar and wind are orders of magnitude cheaper if you look at the true cost.

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NNadir

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Wed Jun-04-08 08:03 PM
Response to Reply #3

8. Are you claiming to be aware of the external cost of energy?

I don't think you know anything at all about the subject.

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kestrel91316

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Thu Jun-05-08 10:20 AM
Response to Reply #8

11. Well, I do know that you are a raging asshole fuckhead. Everything else is superfluous.

Edited on Thu Jun-05-08 10:22 AM by kestrel91316

You are now going to be the first person to ever earn a permanent ignore from me.

I don't converse with TROLLS. And yes, you are one.

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NNadir

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Thu Jun-05-08 06:44 PM
Response to Reply #11

13. Never let it be said that a fundie does anything but stick his head in the sand.

Sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling "Nyah! Nyah! Nyah!" will do ZERO to make you aware of the external cost of energy.

Welcome to 400 ppm fundie.

Ignorance kills.

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bhikkhu

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Wed Jun-04-08 10:10 PM
Response to Reply #3

10. Then perhaps they'd be rushing back to diesel...

Edited on Wed Jun-04-08 10:10 PM by bhikkhu

Anyway, I have read that we should expect some "adjustment" to our electric bills, over most of the country by this fall. I think the various regions and contracts may have some complicated differences, but increases are supposed to be inevitable.

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AnneD

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:34 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. As well it should be...

Edited on Wed Jun-04-08 11:35 AM by AnneD

as inexpensive as possible due to their priority.

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One_Life_To_Give

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Wed Jun-04-08 12:25 PM
Response to Reply #1

6. 20KW Diesel vs 20KW Solar

For a small irrigation pump of say 20KW (27HP)
The diesel engine is available for under $10,000.
20KW of solar panels $100,000 to buy and $80,000 to have installed.

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DCKit

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Wed Jun-04-08 07:29 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. $80K to install? Shirley, you jest.

That's ridiculous. Are you, by any chance, including the cost of build a large barn upon which to place them?

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One_Life_To_Give

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Thu Jun-05-08 01:23 PM
Response to Reply #7

12. Standard Cost $9/Watt Installed

That breaks down to $5/Watt for the panels and $4/Watt to install.

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hunter

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Wed Jun-04-08 11:42 AM
Response to Original message

5. There's a farm nearby me still using diesel.

I wish he'd stop. I suspect he's doing it simply because he doesn't want to lose that irrigation option as permitting becomes more difficult.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/ag/agengine.htm

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NNadir

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Wed Jun-04-08 08:05 PM
Response to Original message

9. Um, how come they're not using biofuels?

Does this mean that farms don't operate as closed systems?

Who knew?

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