Photovoltaic technology can be used to charge electric fences. Credit: Warren Gretz

As a farmer or rancher, what do I need to know about energy efficiency and renewable energy?

There are a number of renewable energy technologies that you can use on your farm or ranch. There also are many agribusiness opportunities in renewables. You can grow crops to make biofuels and bioproducts. And some farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to lease land to utilities for the installation of large wind turbines.

Technologies that are commercially available today for farms and ranches include:

Biofuels
Biopower
Bioproducts
Geothermal heat pumps
Geothermal direct use
Hydroelectric power
Passive solar heating
Photovoltaic (solar cell) systems
Solar hot water systems
Wind energy.

For your farm or ranch, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has an online resource Energy Savers: A consumer guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy, which features information on finding renewable energy resources in your state, making your own electricity, and buying renewable electricity.

In addition, farmers and ranchers in many parts of the country can now buy their electricity from renewable energy sources. This so-called "green power" avoids pollution by displacing the generation of power from other energy sources, such as coal. In states that have not yet deregulated their electricity supplies, this is often referred to as "green pricing." If you cannot buy green power through your utility or other energy providers in your state, you can still buy "green tags" (also called "tradable renewable certificates" or "green certificates"), which allow you to offset your energy use by buying the "green" component of electricity generated at renewable energy projects. Depending on the source of the green tags, those projects may be located nearby or in another state. For more information, see the Green Power Network or the Green-e Home Page.   

You can also save energy by buying energy-efficient vehicles and using biofuels on your farm or ranch. Hybrid electric vehicles are now available on the U.S. market, offering high mileage and low emissions. Cars and trucks that run on alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, are also widely available.

For more information, see the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.