More farmers switching to electricity to run irrigation pumps
There’s a growing trend in the crop-watering business — converting fuel-powered irrigation pumps to electricity.
“We used to be the Cadillac of irrigation systems … If you could afford it, you had an electric well,” said Gary Hedman, CEO of the Southern Public Power District based in Grand Island.
But these days, an irrigation system powered by electricity instead of diesel fuel, natural gas or propane is no longer considered a luxury for many farmers and ranchers because of high fossil fuel prices. Oil prices jumped above $75 recently and are now roughly 26 percent higher than a year ago.
Electricity is now a competitive and often less expensive option, Hedman and other public power district managers said. The irrigation pump conversion trend has been growing for several years and is building across the state.
“We’ve been flooded with applications,” Hedman said.
His district, which serves seven counties in central Nebraska, converted about 300 irrigation pumps to electricity this year.
Last year, it did 320 conversions.
Because of a moratorium on new wells in Southern’s service area, most of those conversions were on existing wells, Hedman said.
Other parts of Nebraska are seeing a dramatic increase in conversions, too.
The Midwest Electric Cooperative Corp. in Grant converted 116 diesel irrigation pumps to electricity this year, said manager Larry Umberger. Last year, it did about 78.
“The high price of fuel is probably the main factor,” Umberger said. “Electricity is real convenient. You don’t have to change oil or anything.”
Irrigation pumps run by electricity require less maintenance, reduce labor and transportation costs — farmers don’t have to drive out to their fields to check on them as often — and help conserve water, Hedman said.
Roy Mulder, who farms about 1,300 acres near Firth, said less maintenance was one of the main reasons he converted his two pumps. The low cost of electricity also helped, he said.
“At the time we converted, Norris (Public Power District) had some good incentives,” Mulder said. “In the long run, the electric is a lot better decision.”
Norris, based in Beatrice, has seen plenty of activity this year, but it’s unclear whether it’s conversions or new systems with electric motors, said Jerry Enns, manager of engineering.
Irrigation season in Nebraska typically lasts from May through September, and some pumps operate 80 percent of the time during dry years. Parts of Nebraska are now in their seventh year of drought.
Beth Boesch, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Power District, said the drought, well moratoriums and the rising cost of fuel have led to a dramatic increase in electric pumps.
“Over the past five years, our connected irrigation load has increased from 987 megawatts in 2000 to 1,279 megawatts in 2005,” she said.
NPPD and other power districts manage their power load to accommodate increased usage. Southern Public Power District, for example, has a system that cuts off irrigation at peak times when demand for electricity is high, Hedman said.
The utility shuts off water via radio signals sent to a receiver on wells.
In return, farmers are charged a lower rate for power.
Bob Heinz, general manager of Dawson Public Power in Lexington, said shortages of materials, people and equipment is preventing his district from doing more conversions.
Of the 10,000 irrigation wells in his district — which stretches 140 miles along the Platte Valley from Sutherland to Shelton — about 5,600 are electric.
Heinz said it’s difficult to gauge how much farmers save in energy costs because of different electric rates and the fluctuating prices of diesel and other fuel.
However, he said, electric rates tend to be fairly stable with small, gradual increases.
“As long as the fuel prices stay up we will see more conversions,” Umberger said. “However, the cost of electricity is going up every day. Eventually, the price of electricity will go up and be more equal to the price of fuel oil in the future.”
Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.
“We used to be the Cadillac of irrigation systems … If you could afford it, you had an electric well,” said Gary Hedman, CEO of the Southern Public Power District based in Grand Island.
But these days, an irrigation system powered by electricity instead of diesel fuel, natural gas or propane is no longer considered a luxury for many farmers and ranchers because of high fossil fuel prices. Oil prices jumped above $75 recently and are now roughly 26 percent higher than a year ago.
Electricity is now a competitive and often less expensive option, Hedman and other public power district managers said. The irrigation pump conversion trend has been growing for several years and is building across the state.
“We’ve been flooded with applications,” Hedman said.
His district, which serves seven counties in central Nebraska, converted about 300 irrigation pumps to electricity this year.
Last year, it did 320 conversions.
Because of a moratorium on new wells in Southern’s service area, most of those conversions were on existing wells, Hedman said.
Other parts of Nebraska are seeing a dramatic increase in conversions, too.
The Midwest Electric Cooperative Corp. in Grant converted 116 diesel irrigation pumps to electricity this year, said manager Larry Umberger. Last year, it did about 78.
“The high price of fuel is probably the main factor,” Umberger said. “Electricity is real convenient. You don’t have to change oil or anything.”
Irrigation pumps run by electricity require less maintenance, reduce labor and transportation costs — farmers don’t have to drive out to their fields to check on them as often — and help conserve water, Hedman said.
Roy Mulder, who farms about 1,300 acres near Firth, said less maintenance was one of the main reasons he converted his two pumps. The low cost of electricity also helped, he said.
“At the time we converted, Norris (Public Power District) had some good incentives,” Mulder said. “In the long run, the electric is a lot better decision.”
Norris, based in Beatrice, has seen plenty of activity this year, but it’s unclear whether it’s conversions or new systems with electric motors, said Jerry Enns, manager of engineering.
Irrigation season in Nebraska typically lasts from May through September, and some pumps operate 80 percent of the time during dry years. Parts of Nebraska are now in their seventh year of drought.
Beth Boesch, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Power District, said the drought, well moratoriums and the rising cost of fuel have led to a dramatic increase in electric pumps.
“Over the past five years, our connected irrigation load has increased from 987 megawatts in 2000 to 1,279 megawatts in 2005,” she said.
NPPD and other power districts manage their power load to accommodate increased usage. Southern Public Power District, for example, has a system that cuts off irrigation at peak times when demand for electricity is high, Hedman said.
The utility shuts off water via radio signals sent to a receiver on wells.
In return, farmers are charged a lower rate for power.
Bob Heinz, general manager of Dawson Public Power in Lexington, said shortages of materials, people and equipment is preventing his district from doing more conversions.
Of the 10,000 irrigation wells in his district — which stretches 140 miles along the Platte Valley from Sutherland to Shelton — about 5,600 are electric.
Heinz said it’s difficult to gauge how much farmers save in energy costs because of different electric rates and the fluctuating prices of diesel and other fuel.
However, he said, electric rates tend to be fairly stable with small, gradual increases.
“As long as the fuel prices stay up we will see more conversions,” Umberger said. “However, the cost of electricity is going up every day. Eventually, the price of electricity will go up and be more equal to the price of fuel oil in the future.”
Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.
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