[Click here to read about CIT's Diesel Pumping Efficiency Program]

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is funding the Agricultural Pumping Efficiency Program (APEP) through 2011 using the Public Purpose Programs Fund under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Eligibility now extends to all owners or users of a non-residential, PG&E electric or natural gas account that is primarily used for pumping water for the following: Production agriculture; landscape or turf irrigation; municipal purposes, including potable and tertiary-treated (reclaimed) water but excluding pumps used for industrial processes, raw sewage, or secondary-treated sewage.

Customers must pay the Public Purpose Programs Charge on their utility bill. Customers should call APEP for questions concerning program eligibility.

"IMPORTANT! Program eligibility and requirements have changed as of March 1, 2010.  

1. APEP no longer accepts well rehabilitation or TDH-reduction projects for incentive applications.  The project must involve retrofit or replacement of either or both of the impeller or bowl.

2. The pre-project pump efficiency test must have occurred after June 1, 2002 but within five years of project start.

3. Only one incentive will be provided for any one pump in a six-year period.

This program effort will provide for:

• 2,400 subsidized pump efficiency tests per year. Click here to learn more about pump tests and how you could obtain one.
• Cash incentives for 200 pump retrofit projects per year. Click here to learn more about eligibility and how you can apply for a retrofit Incentive
• 14 educational seminars/year (refer to the events calendar to the right for notice of seminars coming to your area) - also, click here to view all of the APEP's educational materials. Click here to transfer to the WATERIGHT web site, a site dedicated to agricultural and turf water conservation.

The Agricultural Pumping Efficiency Program (APEP or the "Program") is a continuing effort by the Center for Irrigation Technology.  It is intended as a multi-level program addressing the following important resource management problems in California:

• Energy Conservation
• Water Conservation
• Water Quality
• Air Quality

The twin goals of APEP are:

1. Get highly efficient hardware in the field, including pumping plants, irrigation systems, and water distribution systems.
2. Ensure that this hardware is managed correctly.

From 2001 through 2003 CIT implemented the Agricultural Peak Load Reduction Program on behalf of the California Energy Commission.  This program provided the following to California during the “energy crisis”:

• 9.3 megaWatts of reduced peak load (power use during the time period 12:00 noon through 6:00 PM in the summer months)
• 88.6 gigaWatt-hours conserved annually
• $7.4 million in distributed grants 

From 2002 through 2008 CIT operated with funding from the CPUC and provided California water pumpers with:

• 673 pump retrofit / repair rebates
• $2,200,000 in incentive rebates for those projects
• 36,700,000 kilowatt-hours saved annually as a result of those projects
• 373,000 therms saved annually as a result of those projects
• 13,660 subsidized pump efficiency tests
• $2,260,500 in pump test subsidies
• 127 educational seminars

Although the main objective of the diesel-oriented program is improving air quality through reductions in emissions from the diesel-powered pumping plants, we also emphasize sound water management.

See our Case Studies for examples of the kinds of savings California farmers have realized through CITs efforts.   Please visit the Educational section of this site as all of our written materials can be downloaded.

Click here to view the final report to the EPA for the pilot-level Diesel Pumping Efficiency Program.
Click here to view the Diesel Pump Tester's Resource Manual developed for the follow-on project funded by the Valley CAN group.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation summarizing the Diesel Pumping Efficiency Program. This file includes extensive notes for each slide. You may want to download the file (about 3.2 MB) and view with the notes visible.