Comment on Wyoming ranchers want to transition to solar. The state stands in their way.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
An electric utility bill of 150000$???
Assuming a price of 0.2 ct/kWh that would be 750 MWh per year.
Or a continous consumption of 85kW 24/7.
What the hell kind of farms are these?
Industrial scale indoor weed plantations??
The_v@lemmy.world 2 days ago
They likely have pivot irrigation systems on quite a few fields plus the pumps. Generally costs around $50-$125/acre per year depending on the cost of electricity and length of irrigation season (Arizona irrigates 12months of the year, some high mountain areas irrigate for 2 months).
$150,000 ÷ $125/acre = 1,200 acres under irrigation. $150,000/$50/acre = 3000 acres under irrigation.
These are not poor little family farmers. These are both millionaires who likely inherited it all from mommy and daddy. They also likely accept all sorts of subsidy checks already from the government every year.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
Wait… 3000 acres would be 120 sq. km, if my math mathed correctly.
That’s twice the size of my 130.000 inhabitants municipality, which also includes dozens of huge farms.
I see your point here.
So the whole thing is ridiculous and actually a non-issue.
The_v@lemmy.world 2 days ago
2.47 acres = 1 hectare if I remember my conversions right. 1 hectare is 0.01 sq km.
3000 acres/2.47= 1215 hectares *.01= 12.15 sq km. You misplaced a decimal.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
You are right! Counting decimal places always was one of my weak points, should have switched calculator to engineering notation. :-)
9 sq. km irrigated land is still insane.
I live in middle of the largest irrigated vegetable growing region in Northern Bavaria, and it just has 9 sq. km irrigation area in total, but shared between 267 farms!