From The Union newspaper
By: Matthew Pera, Staff Writer
Date: April 21, 2017
Streams and rivers are flowing heavily, wildflowers are blooming and vibrant greens are appearing along rolling hillsides. Less than three weeks into spring, Governor Jerry Brown signed an executive order lifting California's drought emergency, which has been in place since 2014.
Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Tuolomne counties, however, are still in a drought emergency because of diminished groundwater supplies, an issue that could take years of exceptionally wet winters and extreme rationing to solve.
Although drought restrictions are no longer mandatory in the rest of the state, many Californians are concerned that conservation practices should remain in effect because weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable due to the effects of climate change.
"This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner," said Governor Brown in a press release. "Conservation must remain a way of life."
John Tecklin, owner of Mountain Bounty Farm in Nevada City, said the recent drought put a lot of pressure on his business.
He invested in water-saving technologies of his own, like using more drip irrigation, creating more space for water storage, and selecting crops that need less water. Now that the drought has been officially called off, Tecklin says he's looking ahead to be more prepared in case California's water supply is threatened again.
He's interested in technologies and incentive programs that can help farmers like him.
Tecklin installed solar panels in 2013 and sells power generated on his farm to PG&E, which has made his business almost completely energy-neutral, providing an excellent example of what local farms can do to help conserve.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced April 10 it has partnered with Wexus Technologies and adopted new management tools that help farmers monitor their energy and water use, hopefully helping them save in the long run.
The Wexus software tool remotely connects pumps, buildings, PG&E electric SmartMeters and water flow meters via cloud technology.
Farmers can now track, interpret and manage their water and energy use more effectively by connecting Wexus's technology to their smartphone or computer, where all of their data is stored and easily accessible.
"Smart energy and water management makes a lot of financial sense for growers," said Chris Terrell, CEO and Co-Founder of Wexus Technologies in a statement. "And drought or no drought, water and energy conserving technology deployed in farming operations is a competitive advantage. We're glad to be working with PG&E to make water and energy conservation a way of life."
PG&E offers a variety of incentives for investments in energy and water efficient equipment along with technical expertise and training services.
Customers can receive rebates on the cost of installing larger or more efficient pumps, which help improve access to water stored deeper underground and improve energy efficiency, as well as rebates for improving pipe insulation, converting to drip irrigation, and improving lighting systems, among others.
Since 2011, PG&E agriculture customers have saved more than 538 million kilowatt hours and 19 million therms of energy through the company's existing energy efficiency programs and incentives. That is enough energy to power nearly 50,000 homes for one year. And in 2015, during the height of the California drought, PG&E assisted its agriculture customers in saving 420 million gallons of water through efficiency programs, said Brandi Merlo, a PG&E communications specialist.
PG&E will continue to monitor customers' energy and water saving statistics, and it expects to see improvement with the addition of new software technology.
To contact Staff Writer Matthew Pera, email mpera@theunion.com, or call 530-477-4231.
http://www.theunion.com/news/new-technology-aims-to-help-california-conserve/
Image from: http://mountainbountyfarm.com/farm/