| How to Participate in the ACRE3 Program. |
Hydropower in Agriculture
The ACRE3 Program has a focus on improving the efficiency of irrigation systems, helping farmers save water and energy.
“Water is vital to Colorado’s agricultural community; by making small hydropower accessible to our producers, we are helping them become more self-sufficient and protect their bottom line while creating more efficiency in their water usage,” says Sam Anderson, ACRE3 Program Manager.
There are a wide variety of projects farmers can undertake to improve their irrigation systems and energy use efficiency including small hydropower turbines in pressurized irrigation systems, canals, and small reservoirs.
Regional Conservation Partnership Grant
In 2015 the ACRE3 program secured $2.9 million, including $1.45 million from the USDA RCPP program, for financial and technical assistance to help farmers upgrade their irrigation systems to save water and energy.
CDA has teamed up with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service-Colorado, Rural Development-Colorado, the Colorado Energy Office, and nine other partners through the RCPP program to facilitate the development of low-impact small hydropower on new and existing pressurized irrigation systems. The projects funded by this program can be seen here. Together, the hydroelectric systems are reducing annual on-farm energy costs by $164,131 and saving 1,274,312 kWh per year of energy.
Resources
You can learn more about how to use hydropower in your agricultural operation through three useful publications:
Recommendations for Developing Agricultural Hydropower in Colorado
Colorado Small Hydropower Handbook
Agricultural Hydropower Technical Manual