[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]

Most people just park their tractor to the pump, hook up the PTO and let-er rip. Running parked old diesel tractors is a no brainer. $3,000 for an old tractor or $12,000 for a 50hp stand alone diesel engine which has no utility whatsoever? Hmmmmm........Which do you think the farmer does?

I've seen diesel tractors turning the shaft on irrigation pumps for a week at a time. Some sites even install a bulk tank which bypasses the tractor's tank allowing it to run forever.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Here is the Papers Headline:

Taking diesel out of farm air

I tried to add something from the secondary headline that would give a clue and fit within the number of characters allowed!

[snopercod]

See the problem is, the utility has to build and size the transmission and distribution system as if all those pumps were running all the time.

They must be paid for all that time and equipment somehow.

If the farmers don't pay for it, then the costs will be shifted to "other users", which in California, means businesses, not residences.

Cows don't vote.