CA: Taking diesel out of farm air - ...replace diesel engines with electric models..

The Sacramento Bee ^ | January 25, 2004 | Jennifer M. Fitzenberger --

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Tractors, like this one in Fresno, and diesel pumps are spewing particulate matter and smog-forming nitrogen oxide into the San Joaquin Valley air.

Farmers who want to replace their pollution-spewing diesel engines with electric models might get help from the state Legislature.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

If the Demoncrats vote for this, will they vote for more POWER PLANTS????

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

What's going on?

[umgud]

8,200 ag pump produce over 14,000 tons of emissions per year? Diesel must be heavier when it is burned I guess.

[TXnMA]

Electric farm tractors?

Sounds like they're inhaling smoke in La-La land again -- but it ain't from Diesels...

[TXnMA]

Electric farm tractors?

Sounds like they're inhaling smoke in La-La land again -- but it ain't from Diesels...

[TXnMA]

Save energy -- stop double posts!

[Robert A Cook PE]

HUH?

Yeah, right.

And how many batteries is it going to take to to plow/rake/seed/turn under a field several DOZEN square miles in area?

And when are the farmers going to find TIME to recharge these extremely heavy batteries (which, I suppose, aren't going to cause their "new" tractors and mowers and seeding machines (couple of hundred thousand apiece!) to bog down in the dirt)? Besides, conversion (utility power) to low-volt AC/to DC/to DC- battery charge/DC current from teh battery/DC power to the motor/motor power to the wheels .... will NOT be more efficient than a high torgue current diesel. No thought. No science. No economics. No engineering. Pure emotion. Pure democrat. (And free government electricity (er, hot air) powering all of it.)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The double post police will get you!

LOL!

[NormsRevenge]

Better buy some stock in extension cord and battery manufacturers. 8-\

[dalereed]

They need to put out the bumper sticker I saw about 25 years ago.

When all the gas is gone, burn an environmentalist!

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Is there some logic to this proposal?

[U S Army EOD]

Screw it, lets just go back to steam.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

When all the gas is gone, burn an environmentalist!

Sounds good to me!

[Voltage]

Here is an idea...grow corn, ferment it, distill, burn the alcohol in the tractors and pumps, repeat until bankrupt.

[76834]

Correct me if I am wrong. This idiot wants all farmers to stop using diesel and start using elect.
Where does he think elect comes from. Power plants, mostly coal fired, and where do they get the coal?
Mines of course, mined by diesel powered equiptment, moved from the mine to the power plant by diesel locomotives.

Amazing aint it

[76834]

Screw it, lets just go back to steam.

Thats the idea: Use steam to generate electricity.
Mainly from coal fired power plants.

[Amerigomag]

The title of this article is misleading.

This is about PG&E and their rate structure for agricultural water pumps. This is not about electric tractors and converted golf carts.

This is an attempt to lower electric rates for farmers. Pollution reduction is only a pleasant benefit if you don't consider the pollution created by the production of the power.

At this point in time, the available generation capacity and the grid to deliver power to these ag pumps will push the system over the edge in times of high commercial/residential use.

[blackdog]

Oh my! Where to start?

Given the fact that my diesel tractor powers pumps, grain mills, elevators, augers, blower/choppers, wood chippers, snow blowers, manure spreader, saw mill, generator, barn cleaner, hammer mill, logging winch, and does field work with plows, tillers, sub-soiler, grain drill, brillion seeder, haybine, rake, baler, stalk shredder, and pulls 12 ton wagons, you'd be one hell of a salesman to find an alternative.

This initiative is as sensible as telling the IRS to abandon computers and go back to using pencils and an abacus.