PG&E Champions Agricultural Innovation & Sustainability at the 2024 World Ag Expo

By Adrienne Moore

As the dust settles on the 2024 World Ag Expo, one thing is clear: PG&E’s dedication to empowering its agricultural customers and advancing renewable energy solutions are propelling them toward a future defined by progress, sustainability, and prosperity.

“There is a lot of networking,” said Farah Pelayo, PG&E Program Manager for the Small Business Engagement Team. “We’ve been able to educate customers, and also assist them with other ag accounts, sometimes even family and friends.”

Dubbed ‘The Best Show on Dirt,’ the 57 annual expo included over 1,200 exhibitors, and featured the latest equipment, communications, and technology in the agriculture industry. For PG&E’s Small Business Engagement team, the event provided a fertile ground to cultivate stronger relationships with the ag customers they serve.

“This expo really provides us a unique opportunity to really interact with 40,000 different business owners, farmers, livestock producers, ranchers,” said Josh Simes, PG&E Regional Vice President, Central Valley Region. “We are so proud to help serve these unique business owners,” he added.

“PG&E pulled out all the stops,” said Arthur Moye, CEO of Full Circle Brewing. “The expo is a good space to learn more about probably the largest expense on our profit and loss.”

On-bill Financing to cut costs

Following an energy assessment by PG&E Customer Relationship Manager Gilbert Santos, Moye’s Fresno-based company leveraged On-Bill Financing to modernize equipment across its facility.

“We were able to upgrade all our high-energy using pieces of equipment, said Moye. “That allowed us to quadruple our production with no money out of pocket,” he added. “My recommendation is to reach out to your rep and just walk through your business, because likely, there’s going to a program there to help you out.”

Safety first

The three-day event drew nearly 100,000 attendees to Tulare earlier this month. PG&E’s booth featured a variety of demonstrations on pole climbing, gas and electric safety, and workshops highlighting the importance of calling 8-1-1 before a digging project.

“We do workshops to teach people how to be safe in everything they do,” said Randy Chiek, PG&E Dig-In Reduction Team Investigator. “You know your land, but there's gas lines out there you don't know about if you don't call us,” he continued.

“Let us come out and help you find out where they're at,” he added.

Farm electrification

Electric forklifts, mowers, and tractors were also on display at the PG&E booth. Representatives from Monarch Tractor collaborated with PG&E coworkers to promote the theme “Electrification on the Farm,” spotlighting how EV tractor technology is supporting ag customers’ evolving operational needs.

“I think the farmer is very aware of the future of farming when it comes to electric vehicles being a part of their process and a part of their farm,” said Luke Carter, Key Account Manager for Monarch Tractor. “One of the features released at the end of last year is auto steering, so it allows the operator to go down a row crop and have the tractor actually use the cameras that are all located 360 degrees around the tractor,” he continued.

“I think everybody realizes the importance of being able to have a cleaner source of energy supplied,” Carter added.

Cow power

On the opposite end of the 6,400 square-foot dirt pavilion, PG&E’s Eric Larson, Gas Interconnection Manager, and Steve Moorleghen, Business Development & Marketing hosted a special seminar focused on interconnecting customers’ Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) supply to PG&E’s pipeline system. One interconnection serving the Central Valley, uses private California Energy Exchange infrastructure to deliver RNG from producers, such as dairies, to PG&E’s gas system. Producing RNG for end users like transportation companies offers an additional income stream for farmers while decarbonizing the gas system and improving air quality for communities.

“This is where our customers are at,” said Larson. “This is where the potential source for both dairy manure, ag waste and other organic sources that can be turned into RNG are located.”

Agricultural waste can be used to create RNG and prevents the release of methane that would otherwise go into the atmosphere.

“These projects are designed to capture the methane and the carbon dioxide, clean it up to pipeline quality specifications, and then deliver it into a pipeline where it can fuel vehicles, homes, businesses and schools,” said Brian Habersack, Vice President of Operations, California Energy Exchange. “As part of the digestion process, you wind up with not only biogas, which is comprised of methane and C02, but also, clean water. That clean water can be recycled and used back on the crop base that serves as dairy feed for the dairies,” he continued.

Since 2022, PG&E has received over two billion cubic feet of California-made RNG into its pipeline system. While the interconnection process can take 18-24 months to complete, Larson and Habersack call it a ‘win-win’ for ag customers and the environment.

“The number of dairies of dairies that are contributing RNG into PG&E’s system will increase from 32 today to 48 this year, using existing interconnections,” said Larson. “As PG&E looks to the future, not only do you have the RNG coming from dairies, and ag waste, but we’re also going to receive RNG from food waste and landfill sources in 2024.”

As the World Ag Expo continues to be a premiere platform for agricultural innovation and collaboration, PG&E remains committed to providing customers with sustainable energy solutions and unparalleled support, driving positive change across California’s agricultural landscape.

For more information on how agriculture customers can find the best rate plan, rebates, and demand response and energy efficiency programs, visit www.pge.com.