-February 11,2019-
The California Energy Commission(CEC) will award around $28 million to a dozen area ag processors who will upgrade their processing plants, using solar and other renewable technology to cut emissions and save energy.
At their February 20 meeting the CEC will announce a FOOD PRODUCTION INVESTMENT PROGRAM and discuss “proposals to install drop-in and emerging energy technologies at California food processing plants, demonstrate their reliability and effectiveness, and help California food processors work towards a low carbon future. The technologies funded will reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production” says a staff report.
Many of the companies are Central Valley-based including Visalia’s California Dairies,Tulare’s Land O’ Lakes ,Baker Commodities of Fresno County, Kingsburg’s Sun-Maid Growers, Neil Jones Food Company,Foster Farms and Olam West Coast, all with plants in the Valley.
Several of the food makers, LOL and CDI will get funds to operate a high-temperature solar thermal energy system at their dairy processing facilities, receiving around $3 million each.Milk processors require very high temps to do everything from bottle sterilization,UHT treatment ,multiple stage evaporation and spray drying.
Foster Farms will get two sets of funds – a $2,666,652 grant to fund energy efficient upgrades, including heat recovery systems and controls, at their five existing food processing facilities and a $3,852,554 grant to fund electrical infrastructure upgrades at their food processing facility in Livingston, California.The electrical upgrades would enable transport refrigeration units containing processed food to be switched from diesel to electric when stationary. Fuel switching from diesel to electric will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly reduce criteria pollutant emissions, improving local air quality.
Olam West Coast, Inc. will get a $3,578,606 grant to design, install, and operate a high-temperature solar thermal energy system at their tomato processing facility in Lemoore. Also they will receive a $2,010,745 grant to install and operate an electric drying system at the recipient’s dehydrated food manufacturing facility in Firebaugh.
Sun-Maid Growers of California will get a $805,584 grant to install and demonstrate an optimized compressed air system at the recipient’s raisin production facility in Kingsburg, California, and adopting staff’s determination that this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. The optimized compressed air system will feature a unique energy efficient centrifugal compressor and heat recovery technology resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and operating costs.