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Wyoming ranchers test renewable-powered stock pumps

Facing a fifth year of drought, the Wyoming governor's office and University of Wyoming researchers have come up with a plan to support one of the state's biggest industries—cattle ranching—that also promotes alternative energy.

Last March, Governor Dave Freudenthal announced that the state would put up $500,000 to help ranchers install solar- and wind-powered stock pumps. "My hope is that this new technology can help ranchers water their livestock using the means and areas that make the most sense for their operations," Freudenthal commented in a press release about the initiative.

Technology solves several problems

The governor noted that stock water pumps powered by renewable energy will solve several problems at once. The new pumps will allow ranchers to reach underground water supplies in remote areas of their property. Since livestock rarely venture far from water sources, more watering locations can mean improved range use.

Remote electric pumps require long, expensive distribution lines that cost $15,000 to $20,000 per mile in Wyoming and often don't produce enough revenue even to pay for maintenance. "Our minimum charge for electricity is $13 per month," said Electrical Technician Dan Watson of Bridger Valley Electric Association. "If the line needs repair, we can end up losing money on it."

Many ranchers choose either to truck water to cattle or use pumps powered by small diesel or propane engines. The noisy engines cause air pollution and require frequent trips even in bad weather to start and stop the systems. Solar stock water pumping offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative in remote applications.

Russell Waldner director of engineering for Carbon Power and Light, speaks from experience when he agreed that renewables-powered equipment has many benefits for ranchers. "I have one that has run year-round for four or five years with no trouble," he said.

Participants make small investment

Phase I of the plan calls for two to four ranchers in each of Wyoming's 23 counties to receive systems developed by researchers at the UW Electric Motor Training and Testing Center. "The university's involvement helps to ease the concerns some ranchers have about adopting a relatively new technology," said Dr. Sadrul Ula, energy advisor with the governor's office. Ula is a professor in the UW Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

University staff and engineering grad students designed the systems to match the specifications ranchers provided on their applications. The specs were submitted to three or four experienced vendors throughout the West. "These pumps are all done with off-the-shelf technology," Ula said. "We chose equipment with a good track record."

The university will install the units and maintain them for two years. The rancher must grant the research team two year's access to the pump and put up 20 to 25 percent of the system's cost in in-kind matches. That may include building the foundation and supports for the solar panels or wind turbines, digging or repairing the well, fencing and labor. "Since the system is basically free to the project participants, we want to make sure they are serious about it," said UW Staff Engineer Steve Fletcher, who is in charge of the installation.

Committees weigh many factors

The initial $500,000 grant will buy equipment for the systems. The money is coming from the state's petroleum violation fund, administered by the Wyoming Business Council. The state is encouraging participants to apply for matching funds from EPA grants; U.S. Department of Agriculture programs like Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Innovation Grants and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program; and other sources.

The Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts publicized and distributed the application in cooperation with local electric utilities, county extension agents and ranching organizations. Committees consisted of representatives from stock growers' associations, conservation districts and utilities.

Dr. Ula suggested that conservation districts ask electric co-ops to help select participants. Watson and BVEA had cooperated with Ula on installing a solar stock pump demonstration in the early '90s, so Ula recommended Watson to the Uinta County committee.

About 150 ranchers from across the state submitted applications for two rounds of evaluations. Watson, who evaluated applications on the Uinta County selection committee, said that several ranchers applied for more than one system. The selection criteria focused on improving distribution of livestock, reducing grazing in riparian areas, providing water for wildlife and whether the producer could obtain matching funds from other programs.

Full season needed to judge performance

During the 2005 summer grazing season, the university installed six pumping systems of various sizes, all solar. The smaller ones were powered by a 260-watt array and pumped about 1,000 gallons per day. The large, 660-watt systems can pump 2,000 to 5,000 gallons daily depending on the depth of the well, said Fletcher.

It is too early in the project to judge how well the systems are meeting their owners' needs—that will take about a year's worth of operation. Waldner warned of two potential drawbacks ranchers might encounter with their solar-powered systems. "The biggest problem is pumping enough water for the amount of stock in the area," he observed.

The grazing may support more cattle than the pumping system can. The solution is to install either a big storage tank or a big pump, said Waldner, adding that combining a wind turbine with the system could pick up the extra water needed.

The intermittent nature of solar and wind could also keep the system from pumping enough water. Waldner said that Carbon customers with solar-powered pumps still have backup gas generators. "But if they don't use the generators, they still save the operational costs," he noted.

The researchers are looking forward to collecting data on stock pump performance over the next two years, and offering tours of the working systems to other ranchers and the general public. "We hope the neighboring ranchers who didn't apply will see the pumps and be convinced," said Ula.

If that happens, Wyoming ranchers may eventually count sun and wind as a resource that is nearly as valuable as water.