California Drought Conservation Creating Hidden Costs For Farmers

WOODLAND (CBS13) — Farmers are doing what they can to cut back on water use during California's drought, but it can come at a steep price.

There's more to the tomatoes on Blake Harlan's sixth-generation Woodland farm than meets the eye. Drip irrigation runs underground, cutting back on water use by 30 percent.

"Leading into the drought we're using less water than we ever have," he said.

Energy-efficient, intelligent pumps make a difference. With his old pump, Harlan says it was like driving a car at top speed constantly. Now he can change the speed and how much water is used.

"With the variable frequency drive we can turn down the motor and use less electricity," he said.

But it doesn't come cheap. Water efficiency is driving his energy costs higher.

To soften the blow, he's partnering with PG&E. Its energy-efficiency rebate programs are more popular than ever with farmers, as the utility says growers used 40 percent more energy last year.

"That shows you that farmers are really trying to access that groundwater and they have to use more energy to do that," said Lynsey Paulo.

It offers a variety of programs to drive down agriculture's water and energy use. The utility paid out $6.5 million in incentives to support investments made by 600 ag customers in its service area.

"We're trying to do whatever we can to help them weather the drought because we know this is a critical driver in the state of California," Paulo said.

Harlan isn't stopping there. He's one of the first farmers in the area to install solar panels to provide power for about 50 percent expense. It's an upfront expense the longtime family farmer believes will be well worth it in the long run.

"It's a delicate balance that we're playing here, because right now, water is our most limited resource," he said.

PG&E says it's paid nearly $100,000 in incentives to Harlan Farms over the past five years, saving enough energy to run hundreds of homes.