In California, up to 24 percent of farms have installed on-farm, behind-the-meter generation, generating up to 4 percent of their total demand. This trend exposes farms to uncertainty of revenue from the production of electricity generated on-site and sold back to the grid. As emerging producers of clean energy, farmers will be in a stronger position if they learn and speak the complex language of the electricity grid.
Ag states with ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standard targets
California 60% by 2030
Kansas 20% by 2020
The electricity grid is evolving and in need of flexible loads to maintain stability. Twenty-nine states; Washington, D.C.; and three territories have adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard. Top irrigated agricultural states are among those with ambitious RPS targets. In order to meet those RPS goals, large quantities of solar and wind electricity need to be integrated into the electricity grid. Unlike conventional natural gas and coal thermal power plants, these new generation sources are inherently intermittent and not always available. The intermittency of renewables, their lack of dispatchability, and high cost of energy storage makes managing the electricity grid more difficult.
Montana 15% by 2015
Texas 10 gigawatts by 2025
The schematic below shows the energy/water nexus on a farm.
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