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What The Pope Is Train You About The Legal Risiks In The Ag Industry
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Hydropower for agriculture- Urban Ag Law Group Cary Weiner- Blake Osborn- Sam Anderson
rapid specifics
Background
little hydro on land
Motivations
Genuine Living Predicament
granting the construction of a hydroelectric power plant
A smaller hydro technique is being funded.
Water Rights
Quickly details...- Colorado is leading the nation in creating incentives for small agricultural hydropower generation- 7 % of Colorado's irrigated land ( roughly 170, 000 acres ) have the potential to generate 30 megawatts of electricity directly from power plants directly or through electrical connections to offset on-farm energy intake.- Most on-farm small electricity projects will not need to obtain a new legal fluids proper if small hydropower generation is combined with an existing water use.
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Background
The Colorado Energy Office has identified three components of agricultural water conveyance that can harness hydropower: 1 ) on-farm pressurized irrigation systems, 2 ) conduit drops on irrigation ditches, and 3 ) existing agricultural dams. Just compressed watering techniques on farms may be covered in this release.
The strength of flowing waters can be used for mechanical or electrical purposes in small-scale hydro technology, also known as micro-hydro. Below it is important to differentiate between strength, strength, and power. Industrial and agricultural activities have lengthy relied on the vitality of waters as it flows uphill. Impressive modern systems allow the capture of strength from moving fluids into mechanical operation or even the production of electricity. Bread factories, for instance, used the ocean of a flowing stream to switch a windmill and physically generate the wheat grinder. Energy is the capacity to perform work, energy is the amount of work that can be done over time, and electricity is a charged current. The ability to use a device known as a turbine to extract energy from moving water and turn it into electricity or power is one of the main advantages of small hydropower generation. To better understand how power and electricity are created we need to first look at the source of this energy. Small-hydro system designs typically yield 2 megawatts ( MW) of power or less.
Water at a higher altitude, such as on a hillside, has potential energy because it is higher than the point of use. Site characteristics including the available water and the elevation drop ( also called head ) determine the water's potential energy. A turbine converts potential energy into kinetic energy by converting the pipe's pressurized water into kinetic energy. The bottom of the pipe is at a higher pressure than the top, which indicates increased pressure within a pipe full of water. Pressure, however, is not enough to spin a turbine. The amount of kinetic energy that can be produced by power is determined by the amount of moving water, the elevation drop, and the friction inside the pipe.
The ability to control the flow and rate of water flow, both crucial elements in energy production, is the most important factor for power generation and irrigation. These three factors- flow, head, and conveyance method- are critical in determining how much energy a small hydropower system can generate. In contrast, smaller pipes or rougher pipes will have more friction loss. How much kinetic energy can be captured depending on how much water is transported to the point of power generation. For example, a large diameter PVC pipe has low friction loss because the inner walls of the PVC pipe are smooth, reducing friction between the water and pipe walls, and the large pipe diameter moves more water with less wall contact.
Implementing Small Hydropower Projects on-farm
The turbines are driven by a hydraulic pump that guides the center pivot around the field using irrigation system pressure to spin them. In this instance, no electricity is generated, or needed, to move the center pivot. Because of their relatively low cost, independence from the larger power grid, and lower maintenance costs, mechanical hydropower systems are the most prevalent in Colorado ( Figures 1 and 2 ).
A hydraulic pump is driven by irrigation water, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2: Irrigation water diverted to a turbine before being used to irrigate.
Hydroelectric, another type of hydropower system, uses water's energy to spin a turbine and produce electricity. Although hydroelectric systems can be more expensive, they may offer an irrigator a method of producing electricity that lowers utility costs. Most commonly, the electricity generated from a hydropower system is transferred to the larger electrical grid and gets used by someone else off-farm.
A small hydropower system's kilowatt-hour of electricity is transferred to a larger grid for the purposes of calculating a farm's monthly electricity use. The farm would be responsible for any electricity used more than what is generated by the farm in a month, and up to 120 % of the electricity generated in excess of what the farm uses in a month can be transferred to the following month. Net metering agreements are negotiated between the electric utility and the power generator, in this case an irrigator. A net metering agreement helps to achieve this.
What factors should be taken into account when determining whether a micro-hydro is appropriate:
- Do you have access to technical, financial, and/or administrative expertise that will be necessary to execute this project efficiently? Is your system going to be less than 25 kilowatts if you are producing electricity for the grid through a net metering agreement? For instance, you wouldn't want to put a pricey micro-hydro system on a water-short ditch lateral with a subpar water source. Multiple turbines exist to operate at different flow and head conditions, the efficiency of extracting energy from water will vary with turbine type and site conditions. The turbine wheel or shaft seals can quickly become worn out by silt in the water stream. Are there any local economic, political, or environmental variables that will impact a project's success? If not, this can add significant costs. Are the site conditions conducive to efficient generation of electricity? If not, will you need a legal right to the water? - If you are producing electricity for the grid through a net metering agreement, are you near enough to existing power infrastructure? Is the water largely clear of silt and sand, or is it simple to get rid of it? - Can you trust the water source to meet your needs? If not, your local electric utility may only allow interconnection on a case-by-case basis. Appropriate flow and elevation drop are necessary for the site to pressurize the irrigation system and run the turbine. Do you have the right to use a certain amount of water for the production of electricity?
Motivations
There are many reasons for implementing small hydropower generation at the farm scale, including: economic incentives ( including low interest loans, grants from the State of Colorado, net metering, and utility rebates or incentives ), the need to reduce pipe pressure, or to simply transition to a more sustainable energy source. Small hydropower systems have both environmental and community benefits beyond the farm.
In rural Colorado, installing a mechanical hydropower system to turn a center pivot can reduce the need for additional diesel generators or electrical transmission lines, for instance, reducing the environmental impact. Economic benefits of small hydropower generation are mentioned in Colorado's Water Plan which emphasizes lowering the cost of the "water-energy nexus" and recommends small hydropower projects be incorporated into irrigation efficiency improvements, when feasible, to increase the economic return on water use.
In order to reduce labor costs and improve the accuracy and precision of water application on a field, irrigators frequently switch from flood to center pivot irrigation. However, the electrical costs to pump the water through the pivot and advance it around the field are one of the main costs over the life of the center pivot. Small on-farm hydropower generation offers an irrigator the opportunity to reduce their electrical costs which, depending on the farm's size, could reduce overall costs.
The new small hydropower landscape still presents challenges despite the many potential benefits. The Colorado Department of Agriculture has identified some challenges and obstacles to small hydropower generation:
1. In a particular geographic area, there might be a lack of industry knowledge. Fear of the "unknown" 3. Few equipment suppliers4. Costs. allowing
Over 170, 000 acres of irrigated land in Colorado have been labeled as suitable for pressurized irrigation systems. The State of Colorado has been developing resources to assist landowners, including irrigating farmers, in building and implementing small hydropower projects despite the fact that only a small portion of the potential has been developed.
By creating resources to support small-hydro development, including streamlining regulations, Colorado has established itself as a national small-hydro pioneer. At the state level, small hydropower permitting has become much easier thanks to Colorado HB14-1030" Concerning the establishment of incentives for the development of hydroelectric energy systems" signed into law on May 31st, 2014. The State of Colorado recognized the need for simplified restrictions that would permit for innovative hydropower projects in order to function modest electricity features.
One of the first claims in the nation to offer the following:
A Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ( FERC ) to streamline permitting
According to the MOU," The Commission ( FERC ) and Colorado have a mutual interest in streamlining and simplifying regulations for allowing small hydropower projects."
At its core, this MOU gives the State of Colorado, which regulates on-the-ground permitting of tiny hydropower projects, the ability to enact simpler permitting rules and promote little scale hydropower projects as a source for spotless, clean, and regional energy while protecting climate and additional non-developmental resources. In contrast to the two to three years before the MOU was signed, tiny hydro initiatives could be completed in as little as six month with the signing of the MOU.
Real-world incident
A farmer in north Colorado wanted to replace an outdated facility hinge with a brand-new, compact hydro turbine in order to lower energy costs in 2012. Pushes and pull networks were eliminated, which reduced operating and maintenance costs because weight was used to supply the sprinkler and generate electricity. These webpage conditions create enough stress to push the sprinklers as well as generate 5.2 megawatts of strength, or seven horsepower. A head of 126 feet and a predictable flow of 560 gallons per minute ( gpm ) were determined by an evaluation of the site conditions.
The sole out-of-pocket expense for the producer was the purchase of a Cornell engine because of the opportunities offered for web-site and viability analyses. The irrigation company saved about$ 2,100 in strength annually, which is approximately$ 7, 000. An NRCS EQIP bestow totaling$ 13, 000 covered the irrigator's entire job costs, which was$ 6, 000. This results in a payback period of roughly 3.3 times. The overall annual expense of the hydro venture was$ 350/year over 20 times because a rotor has a life expectancy of at least 20 times.
If a single turbine is properly maintained, an irrigator can anticipate receiving more than 20 years of use from it ( turbine maintenance is very similar to pump maintenance ). In this situation, installing a modest hydro structure and cutting down on a core pivot's energy use may save around$ 35, 000 over the course of 20 years.
Creating a Hydrological Center
Although little hydro technology perhaps been simpler to implement than it was previously, the FERC and the State of Colorado are also governed by these regulations. Hydropower assignments that don't generate electric have to go through the FERC permitting approach. In order to streamline regulatory procedures in 2013, the FERC gave irrigators the option of adding a hydraulic service to an irrigation ditch or pipelines whose main function is to give water liquid to fields rather than generate energy.
Hydraulic assignments are just obtainable because of the 2013 Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act. The FERC permitting process would take ages and charge tens of thousands of dollars for even the smallest hydrological jobs before this Act was signed. The Federal Power Act ( FPA ) also exempts some conduit hydropower facilities from licensing requirements.
When a electricity service is added to a pipeline, such as a network or trench, where the conduit's main function is not to produce electricity, this licensing exemption applies. This enables irrigators who use pipes to transport water to their farms to just put a hydraulic rotor to their existing transfer facilities without having to move through a pricey governmental process.
In this case, the FERC implementation approach begins with a Notice of Intent to Develop a Eligible Conduit Hydropower Ability with the Commission. The Commission" did make an initial dedication within 15 times," according to the FERC web. The Notice of Intent ( NOI ) for an irrigation hydroelectric project typically includes a location map, a schematic drawing of the hydropower plant, and a five-page notice of intent. [ Their ] first choice will be to reject the notice of intent or to determine whether the facility meets the requirements. If more details are required, the FERC did offer a list of the missing data. Once you have the missing knowledge, you you re-file the see of goal at any time and have it revised. The project's major goal and the conduit's NOI are described in detail in the NOI. If FERC immediately determines that your ability meets the requirements:
1. TheFERC did publish a open see giving the public 30 times to submit vibrations for an omission.
The FERC does send a letter declaring the project a "qualified conduit hydropower facility" if there are no people objections to the little hydraulic facility. The complete FERC permitting procedure does acquire a maximum of 60 times, unless a affirmation of criticism is filed by the government. It is advised that the NOI really become submitted early in the design process so that assembly of the hydraulic system can start as soon as this process is finished.
A Small Hydropower System is Financing.
Financial bonuses are now more prevalent for on-farm electricity initiatives in addition to regulation bonuses for electricity. A free program offered through the Colorado Department of Agriculture ( CDA ) that performs a site assessment and, when funding permits, can help pay for the cost of a feasibility assessment is one of the biggest incentives for irrigators.
A page assessment will examine your physical characteristics for electricity generation, including physiographic changes, diversion amounts, and existing irrigation infrastructure. A feasibility study commonly includes architectural reports and analyses, as well as a more in-depth examination of your site's problems.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board, which provides reduced interest funding for modest hydro tasks, offers another motivation. Additionally, the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP ) provides federal funding for farm improvements like center pivots and small hydropower systems. Irrigators will be able to use a variety of financial incentives to help them pay for a small hydropower system.
Water Rights
When combined with existing water delivery infrastructure and an existing, decreed water use, small hydropower generation is the most practical. In this context, the addition of water for hydropower generation would be regarded as an "incidental and non-consumptive use" and not a requirement for a new water right, as long as the hydropower is only produced during deliveries for the original and decreed water use.
As an example, if a small hydropower system is added to a center pivot's water delivery system, the water used for irrigation can also be used to generate electricity without the need for a new right to use it, provided the water used isn't used in excess of the water needed for irrigation. Depending on the age of the water right, relying on already-decreed water may affect the availability of power production. A new water right would need to be obtained if new détours are required to generate electricity all at once. The amount of water that has been diverted to irrigate, and incidentally to run a center pivot, must remain the same as it was before the installation of the tiny hydropower system, unless a new water right is issued to deduct more water than the historically necessary amount for irrigation. Contact the Colorado Division of Water Resources to get clarification if you are unsure if a new water right is required.
Additional Information extension.colostate.edu/usda-non-discrimination-statement
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