UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA CIRCULAR 316 October, 1929 ELECTRICAL STATISTICS FOR CALIFORNIA FARMS B. D. MOSESi Uj«j B 4. I " i J J TYPICAL ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION FOR IRRIGATION PUMPING FOREWORD This bulletin is a contribution of the Division of Agricultural Engineering, and the Committee on Statistics of the California Com- mittee on the Relation of Electricity to Agriculture. It is the fourth of a series planned to report the results of investigations conducted 1 Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering and Associate Agricultural Engineer in the Experiment Station. 2 University of California — Experiment Station jointly by the Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agricul- ture, University of California, and the California Committee on the Relation of Electricity to Agriculture. 2 This committee represents the agricultural and electrical industries in California that are work- ing together for the purpose of making reliable information available concerning the use of electricity on the farm, and cooperating with similar committees in other states. E. D. MERRILL, Director, California Agricultural Experiment Station. INTRODUCTION The Agricultural Engineering Division of the University of Cali- fornia has received many inquiries for statistics on the uses of elec- tricity in California agriculture. Some of these inquiries have come from farmers seeking an account of the success obtained by others, as a help in making their own installations; farm organizations have wanted data on rural electrification that would be of value to their members; manufacturers have requested figures that would assist them in determining the most practical apparatus to manufacture, and which would also help in determining sales and advertising poli- cies ; power utilities have been interested in the character of equipment used on the farm ; publishers of farm papers and magazines want the figures and facts in order to picture correctly farm practices; and investigators of rural electrification use such information as a guide to further study. 2 The personnel of this committee for 1929-30 is: E. D. Merrill, College of Agriculture, Chairman. H. B. Walker, College of Agriculture, Vice-Chairman. N. E. Sutherland, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Treasurer. B. D. Moses, College of Agriculture, Director-Secretary. J. R. Tavernetti, College of Agriculture, Field Engineer. C. L. Cory, College of Mechanics. H. M. Crawford, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. W. J. Delehanty, General Electric Co. J. J. Deuel, California Farm Bureau Federation. A. M. Frost, Great Western Power Corporation. Charles Grunsky, California Railroad Commission. Alex. Johnson, California Farm Bureau Federation. T. II. Lambert, Agriculturist. R. C. McFadden, Southern California Edison Co. W. C. McWhinney, Southern California Edison Co. E. G. Stahl, San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation. George Tenney, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Cir. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 3 In order to obtain material to meet these demands, a committee 3 was appointed to accumulate statistics for the year 1925, and a second committee 4 was appointed to study the returns and publish the findings. It was found that the farmers of California consumed, in 1925, over one billion horsepower-hours of electrical energy for power uses only, and that this consumption is increasing at a rate of approxi- mately 10 per cent a year. Old methods have been improved and new devices made practical to such an extent that now many farms are well equipped with electrical appliances and machinery. The purpose of this report is to place before the farmer informa- tion that may help him in the application of electricity to his farming methods and home conveniences, and to provide others interested in agriculture with accurate data upon present uses and possible developments. Three direct methods have been used in making a survey of the field : (1) The power utilities of California were sent a questionnaire concerning the electricity used in agriculture on their own lines, (2) California farmers on power company lines were mailed a postcard questionnaire regarding the amount of electricity and the number of electric appliances used. (3) The California Railroad Commission furnished statements covering the annual reports made by the privately owned utilities on their agricultural loads. The results of these returns have been carefully studied and ar- ranged in tabular form. They are presented and discussed in the following pages. POWER COMPANY QUESTIONNAIRE The purpose of the power company questionnaire was to obtain the gross figures on consumers, connected load, and revenue of the elec- tricity sold by the utilities to farmers. s J. J. Deuel, California Farm Bureau Federation, San Francisco, Chairman. A. G. Cage, Southern Sierras Power Co., Eiverside. Lloyd Henley, San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation, Fresno. W. C. McWhinney, Southern California Edison Co., Los Angeles. B. D. Moses, University of California, Davis. N. E. Sutherland, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Francisco. * L. S. Wing, Engineer, California Farm Bureau Federation, San Francisco, Chairman. B. D. Moses, Agricultural Engineering Division, University of California, Davis. N. R. Sutherland, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Francisco. C. M. Titus, Associate Statistician, Agricultural Experiment Station, Davis, California. 4 University of California — Experiment Station Most power companies have schedules that automatically classify the rural load, and also special agricultural power schedules for farm motors and heating units used in dehydraters, brooders, and incu- bators. The final segregation of the farm loads from this group was left to each individual company ; and while those filling out the ques- tionnaire were not always able to make exact segregations from their records, the acquaintance of the district managers with their individ- ual customers, and the many studies that had been made by the com- pany statisticians, permitted of fairly accurate estimates. In general, domestic lighting and heating are served through the same meter, and there is no way of telling from the watt-hour record how much electricity is used for each ; an exact classification into ' ' farmer ' ' and "urban" is, furthermore, not always possible in what are known as the suburban and rural districts. For the purpose of this survey a farm was denned asa" place that produces agricultural products and upon which either the owner, tenant, or hired help depends for his livelihood." Following is the questionnaire sent to power companies : ELECTRICAL POWER STATISTICS FOR CALIFORNIA The following data are to be taken from the 1925 records: Power Company 1. Number of Rural consumers of Electric Power 2. Number of Rural consumers using electric Lights 3. Number of Rural consumers using electricity for Heating or Cooking 4. Number of Rural consumers using electricity for Power purposes 5. What per cent of the above classification do you estimate to be farmers? i.e., Individuals depending upon farming for their livelihood. Classification 1 % Classification 2 % Classification 3 % Classification 4 % 6. What was the total agricultural Connected load for 1925? horsepower 7. What was the total Consumption by your agricultural consumers for 1925? kilowatt -hours 8. What was the total Revenue from your agricultural load for 1925? $ Signed The survey revealed that there were 72 public electric utilities in California in 1925, 21 of which served agricultural loads. Three of these had a gross annual agricultural revenue of from $2,000,000.00 to $4,000,000.00 each, and eight of the others averaged over $300,000.00 each (see table 3). Table 1 shows the extent to which electricity was used by all of the consumers living outside of incorporated towns. It includes both farmers and rural residents not engaged in farming. It does not, Cir. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 5 however, include the larger industrial users such as packing houses and cement plants. It reveals the interesting fact that 186,560 or 89 per cent of the total number of rural consumers had electric lights; 13,650 or 6.5 per cent used electricity for heating and cooking, and 48,460 or 23 per cent used electricity for power purposes. TABLE 1 Number of Consumers of Electricity Kesiding Outside of Incorporated Towns or Cities in California, Served by Central Stations; Power Company Questionnaire, 1925* Name of company Southern California Edison Company San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation Pacific Gas & Electric Company Southern Sierras Power Company Coast Counties Gas & Electric Company Greast Western Gas & Electric Company Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company Western States Gas & Electric Company San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company Midland Counties Gas & Electric Company Turlock Irrigation District California Oregon Power Company Escondido Mutual Water Company Modesto Irrigation District Ojai Power Company Vacaville Water & Power Company Anaheim Municipal Light & Water Works Los Angeles Gas & Electric Company Napa Valley Electric Company Alexander Brown Electric Plant Indian Valley Light & Power Company Totals Grand Total all classes 210,000t Lights Heating and cooking Power 94,060 15,220 45,360 3,470 5,090 6,700 800 3,720 4,150 2,710 2,500 320 330 1,570 70 100 30 330 10 20 4,580 1,490 2,940 430 320 1,000 80 460 820 260 770 40 60 320 50 20 10 13,450 8,870 13,540 1,390 1,470 2,400 560 3,180 1,350 850 810 40 180 200 40 60 10 10 50 1,560 13,650 48,460 * This table covers the entire territory outside of incorporated cities and towns and is exclusive of industrial institutions. The records of the reporting companies permit an accurate determination of the total number of consumers. The segregation of classes required, however, a certain amount of estimating. t Consumers receiving more than one class of service have been counted as one consumer for the purpose of the total. Table 2 shows the number of rural consumers classified as " agri- cultural" either automatically or by a study of each district by the local office. A comparison of these data with those of table 1 shows that 51,000 or 24 per cent of all rural consumers were farmers, that 49,800 or 97 per cent of the farmer consumers had electric lights, that 9,060 or 18 per cent used electricity for heating and cooking, and that 40,330 or 79 per cent used it for power. 6 University of California — Experiment Station Table 3 shows the extent to which electricity is being used in actual production in California farming. The electrically driven irrigation pump is the biggest part of this load, probably as much as 90 per cent. If this load had been evenly distributed over the entire field, each of the 40,330 farmers using electricity for power would have had an TABLE 2 Number of Agricultural Consumers* of Electricity in California, Served 1 by Public Utilities ; Power Company Questionnaire, 1925 Name of company Southern California Edison Company San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation Pacific Gas & Electric Company Southern Sierras Power Company Coast Counties Gas & Electric Company Great Western Power Company Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company Western States Gas & Electric Company San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company Midland Counties Public Service Company Turlock Irrigation District California Oregon Power Company Escondido Mutual Water Company Modesto Irrigation District Ojai Power Company Vacaville Water & Power Company Anaheim Municipal Light & Water Works Los Angeles Gas & Electric Company Napa Valley Electric Company Alexander Brown Electric Plant Indian Valley Light & Power Company Totals Grand Total all classes 51,000t Lights Heating and cooking Power 12,000 7,380 11,800 3,300 2,540 1,670 720 3,530 1,450 410 2,500 230 330 1,570 30 50 20 260 10 2,290 ,200 ,210 230 320 500 70 410 570 30 770 20 60 330 20 10 10 10 10,760 7,710 10,830 1,070 1,320 2,040 500 3,120 1,280 340 810 40 180 200 40 30 10 50 49,800 ,060 40,330 * In arriving at the agricultural constituent a farm was defined as follows: "A place will be called a farm that produces agricultural products and upon which either the owner, tenant, or hired help depends for his livelihood." t Consumers receiving more than one class of service have been counted as one consumer for the purpose of the total. average connected load of 15.77 horsepower; each would have used 17,678 kilowatt-hours a year ; and each would have had a $273 power bill. The average cost per kilowatt-hour would have been 1.55 cents at the meter. Totals and averages taken from tables 1, 2, and 3 have been sum- marized in table 4, so as to present a concrete picture of the extent to which electricity is used as a source of power in California agriculture. Cir. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms TABLE 3 California Agricultural Electric Power Loai> Statistics, Exclusive of Domestic Uses; Power Company Questionnaire, 1925 Name of company Connected load (power only) Total consumption (power only) Revenue from agricultural load (power only) horsepower 197,474 94,278 195,552 21,489 15,459 41,000 12,005 23,935 7,800 8,510 8,500 3,902 755 2,111 1,641 500 286 590 112 17 kilowatt-hours 293,403,213 164,150,850 122,176,318 40,752,863 13,266,126* 17,807,000 21,441,663 8,018,260 7,600,000 7,275,898 7,900,000 5,426,594 566,368 1,018,074 1,045,996 262,129 263,985 349,505 189,161 33,484 dollars 4,021,987.68 San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation 2,252,976.22 2,124,725.69 678,750.00 Coast Counties Gas & Electric Company Greast Western Power Company 416,579.56* 345,700.00 345,060.55 239,512.49 San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company Midland Counties Gas & Electric Company 197,775.00 140,292.00 113,000. 00t California Oregon Power Company Escondido Mutual Water Company Modesto Irrigation District 48,901.21 20,741 96 19,503.37 17,933.22 8,925.83 Anaheim Municipal Light & Water Works 6,120.00 Los Angeles Gas & Electric Company Napa Valley Electric Company Alexander Brown Electric Plant 5,269.36 4,925 27 1,097.39 Indian Valley Light & Power Company 917.35 Totals 635,916 712,947,487 11,010,694.15 * Includes power, heating, and cooking. t Revenue shown for Turlock was estimated, but any errors will probably not exceed 10 per cent. TABLE 4 Summary of California Rural Electrical Statistics Compiled from Data in Tables 1, 2, and 3 ; Power, Company Questionnaire, 1925 FROM TABLE 1 Total number of rural consumers receiving service 210,000* Total number of rural consumers receiving lights 186,560 Total number of rural consumers receiving heating and cooking 13,650 Total number of rural consumers receiving power 48,460 FROM TABLE 2 Total number of farms receiving central station service [ [_ 51,000* Total number of farms using electricity for lights 49,800 Total number of farms using electricity for heating and cooking 9,060 Total number of farms u.^ing electricity for operating motors 40,330 FROM TABLE 3 Total horsepower connected load, agricultural power only 635,916 Total kilowatt-hours consumed by agricultural power only 712,947,487 Total revenue agricultural load only (power) $11,010,694 15 COMPUTED AVERAGES Average connected load horsepower (power only) 15. 77 Average annual consumption kilowatt-hours (power only) 17,678 Average annual revenue (power only) S273.01 Average price per kilowatt-hour $.0155 Per cent of farms in California that have central station service 40 * Consumers receiving more than one class of service have been counted as one consumer for the purpose of the total. University of California — Experiment Station POSTCARD SURVEY The postcard questionnaire was a cooperative undertaking between the committee on statistics, the power companies, and the farmers. Fifty thousand duo-fold postcards containing spaces for 57 answers on the number and size of appliances used, the acreage, and the crops grown, were prepared by the committee and delivered to the various power companies. These cards were mailed by the respective com- panies to their agricultural consumers. Out of this number 18 per cent were filled out and returned by the farmers. Following is the postcard questionnaire sent to farmers : Dear Sir: The California Committee on Kelation of Electricity to Agriculture is making a survey of the use of electricity on the farm in this state. The work of this com- mittee is sponsored by such organizations as the California Grange, California Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union, California Farm Bureau Federation, and the Pacific Coast Electrical Association, and is being directed by members of the College of Agriculture of the University of California. The results of the survey are to be published in the California Farm papers. Your prompt answering and returning of this card will enable the committee to obtain a complete and accurate record of existing farm uses. This is an important part of the work of the committee whose duty it is to obtain complete information concerning the cost and efficiency of electricity as a kind of energy for the farm. Farmers in other parts of the United States are anxious to know the exact extent of the use of electricity in California. It will only take a few minutes to fill out this card, so please do it now. Yours truly, BEN D. MOSES, Executive Secretary, C. E. E. A. Electric Motor used for Total No. H.P. Electrical Household Appliances No. Electric Lights No. Irrigation Water Supply Feed Cutter Silo Filler Shop Wood Saw Milking Machine... Cream Separator... Refrigerator Dehydration Fan. Ventilator Fan Total Number Motors Total H.P. Connected Load Number Acres Farmed. Major Crop Range Hot Water Heater Washing Machine Space Heater (Stove). Sewing Machine Vacuum Cleaner Flat Iron Mangle Percolator Toaster Waffle Iron Table Grill (Stove) Curling Iron Immersion Heater Heating Pad Dish Washer Portable Fan Bell Transformer Residence Lights Barn Lights Shop Lights Dairy Lights Pump House Lights Poultry House Lights Yard Lights Garage Lights MISCELLANEOUS Electric Truck Horse Clippers Sheep Shears Brooder Incubator Battery Charger Other Uses and Remarks Cir, 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 9 Table 5 summarizes the returns as reported on the postcard ques- tionnaires. The figures while representative, must be multiplied by some factor in order to obtain the totals for the entire state (see page 16). TABLE 5 Statistics on the Uses of Electricity on California Farms; Compiled from THE EETURNS OF THE POSTCARD SURVEY, 1925 ELECTRIC MOTORS Application Number of units, survey total Horsepower, connected load, survey total 7,929 2,493 256 23 280 81 274 313 217 120 122 537 131,109 Domestic water supply 4,815 1,081 352 592 279 Milking machines 550 85 388 1,566 118 Other uses 2,904 Totals . . 12,645 143,839 ELECTRIC HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES Appliance Number of units, survey total 2,254 1,341 3,608 1,869 1,281 Vacuum cleaners 3,571 6,950 Mangles 164 Percolators 1,839 Toasters 3,397 Waffle irons 1,294 Table grills 1,096 2,395 211 Heating pads 1,064 Dish washers 34 2,011 995 Other uses 2,186 10 University op California — Experiment Station TABLE 5— Continued electric lights Application Number of lights, survey total Residence Barn Shop Dairy Pump house ... Poultry house Yard Garage 105,538 9,730 3,535 3,732 5,428 9,142 5,237 MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Appliance Number of units, survey total 4 36 4 879 1,140 1,025 140 Fig. 1. — The raising of chicks by the use of artificially heated brooders has become a recognized practice with California poultrymen. Approximately 1,000 electrically heated brooders are now in use in California, with a combined capacity of approximately 10,000,000 chicks a year. Cm. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 11 - Fig. 2. — Electrically heated incubators are used by many individual poultry- men. This picture shows a section of a typical incubator room. The glow heater is placed above the testing table to prevent chilling of the eggs during the time they are removed from the incubator. Fig. 3. — Electrically operated milk cooling and storage plant used on a 40-cow dairy in California, for producing market milk. 12 University of California — Experiment Station Fig. 4. — Precooling fruit by forcing air through the ice bunkers of cars is becoming a practice in California for shipments to Eastern markets. The system shown in the upper figure consists of a blower located outside of the car and the air is circulated throughout the car length. In the lower figure is shown a battery of fans which is placed in the center of the car to circulate the air through the ice bunkers. Precooling work takes place previous to start- ing the car in transit. Electric power is well adapted for this work. Cm. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 13 CALIFORNIA RAILROAD COMMISSION REPORTS Each privately owned public utility of California files with the California Railroad Commission an annual report of the business done under the commission's uniform system of accounts. These reports have been used as a basis in compiling tables 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, the chief value of which is to show the trend in farm electrification. A comparison of these tables with tables 2, and 3, reveals certain differ- ences which result from the omission of some of the smaller companies in the Commission reports and from the adjustment of returns by the power company statisticians to meet the agricultural classification as defined for tables 2 and 3. The data compiled for the agricultural power load are taken from special agricultural power schedules, and show the extent of the use of electricity for motor and heating applications. They include no domestic uses, but cover connected load, power consumption, and revenue for the major companies from 1922 to 1928 inclusive. Tables 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are summaries of the electric statistics for thirteen companies of California as reported to the California Rail- road Commission. While they do not include publicly owned utilities and a few of the smaller privately owned companies, they do represent the major load of the state. TABLE 6 Number of Consumers Served on Agricultural Power Schedules by Thirteen Power Companies of California; California Railroad Commission Reports Company 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928f California Oregon Power Company* California Telephone & Light Company Coast Counties Gas & Electric Company Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company Great Western Power Company Midland Counties Public Service Company Ontario Power Company Pacific Gas & Electric Company! San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation Southern California Edison Companyt Southern Sierras Power Company San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company. Western States Gas & Electric Company Totals. 77 135 S4 700 173 1,920 122 62 7,610 5,483 8,700 830 741 2,360 850 450 2,263 299 93 8,730 6,327 9,718 912 870 2,611 950 625 2,395 396 98 10,000 7,692 10,757 1,052 996 2,862 28,778 33,258 37,907 91 752 1,063 677 2,576 469 70 11,244 9,639 11,904 1,134 1,137 3,030 43,786 832 ,003 ,696 502 47,416 77 792 1,122 2,758 558 16,154 11,535 13,473 1,278 1,320 ,067 * Includes power sold in Oregon. f P. G. & E. includes Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Co. and Western States Gas & Electric Co. ; Southern California Edison includes Ontario Power Company and Ojai Power Company. TABLE 7 Revenues to Power Companies of California for Electricity Sold on Agricultural Power Schedules, Not Including Domestic Lighting Nor Heating; California Railroad Commission Reports Company 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928t California Oregon dollars dollars dollars dollars dollars dollars Power Company 80,000.00 87,297.36 80,990.95 101,778.93 98,532.58 102,661.57 California Telephone 43,197.57 Coast Counties Gas & 184,024.77 271,004.27 378,686.03 372,072.83 391,685.43 Coast Valleys Gas & 280,000 00 313,437 26 345,060 55 394,224 83 401,773.94 Great Western Power 288,405.88 357,048.26 345,711.39 391,522.19 418,619.81 409,807.56 Midland Counties Gas & Electric Company 58,846.93 121,339.68 140,537.07 184,366.05 181,553.96 203,663.98 Ontario Power Corn- 137,571.97 162,233.92 170,784.00 143,066.68 119,446.27 Pacific Gas & Electric 1,727,140.21 2,226,602.88 2,086,338.49 2,467,631.64 2,575,250.24 3,376,922.19 San Joaquin Light & 1,689,309.48 1,956,625.41 2,252,331.14 2,838,919.05 2,684,807.09 3,430,319.76 Southern Sierras Pwr. Company 455,257.36 555,755.70 669,280.11 689,203.36 660,015.06 814,278.71 Southern California Edison Company 3,376,265.62 3,550,266.20 4,021,987.68 4,379,253.76 3,984,601.45 5,305,588.93 San Diego Cons. Gas & Electric Company Western States Gas & 160,609.55 197,775.02 224,265.79 196,368.19 225,463.80 Electric Company 207,805.77 281,922.77 239,818.38 264,063.66 285,677.22 Totals 8,300,603.22 9,957,163.76 10,821,619.05 12,456,981.97 11,978,718.64 14,303,589.50 * Includes power sold in Oregon. t Pacific Gas & Electric Company includes Coast Valleys & Western States, and Southern Californi Edison includes Ojai Power Company & Ontario Power Co. TABLE 8 Connected Load in Kilowatts of Agricultural Users Served by Thirteen Power Companies of California on Agricultural Power Schedules; California Railroad Commission Reports Company 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928** 3,240 1,330 8,100 8,072 23,012 1,608 4,015 1,788 9,900 9,619 24,561 4,667 3,280 2,029 11,600 12,005 24,946 6,348 4,452 2,546 13,350 13,378 25,896 7,480 4,750 2,706 14,073 14,064 26,445 7,950 4,408 2,870 Coast Counties Gas & Electric Company 15,700 26,755 Midland Counties Gas & Electric Company.... 8,766 119,500 48,649 106,500 11,695 5,000 16,000 131,000 56,008 125,979 13,316 6,700 17,458 143,100 70,569 147,313 14,675 8,400 21,506 151,355 88,958 165,617 16,563 10,160 19,086 160,807 98,435 173,851 18,660 11,333 20,000 196,000 106,744 197,659 20,077 San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Corn- 12,559 Western States Gas & Electric Company Totals 352,706 405,011 465,771 518,841 553,074 591,538 * Includes power sold in Oregon. ** Pacific Gas & Electric Company includes Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company and Western States Gas & Electric Company; Southern California Edison includes Ojai Power Company and Ontario Power Company. t No returns on connected load for the first 5 years but included in returns of Southern California Edison Co. for 1928. t Estimated values based on 1926-1927 returns. Cm. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 15 TABLE 9 Electricity Used in Kilowatt-Hours by Agricultural Users Served by Thirteen Power Companies of California on Agricultural Power. Schedules; California Eailroad Commission Eeports Company 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928* California Oregon Power Company* California Telephone & Light Company Coast Counties Gas & Elec- tric Company Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company Great Western Power Com- pany Midland Counties Gas & Electric Company Ontario Power Company Pacific Gas & Electric Com- pany San Joaquin Light & Power Corp Southern California Edison Company Southern Sierras Power Company San Diego Consolidated Power Company! Western States Gas & Elec- tric Company 7,147,625 12,257,131 781,524 7,623,747 817,997 12,520,380 12,242,000 3,113,396 9,477,042 98,829,742 100,311,250 203,739,000 25,977,510 5,216,000 6,542,027 18,888,908 19,954,000 6,707,203 11,450,030 140,138,025 148,594,605 256,036,000 33,028,253 7,160,000 11,392,651 21,441,663 17,807,000 7,275,898 12,000,131 121,358,321 171,322,350 293,403,213 40,608,593 7,680,000 8,193,226 9,565,835 1,047,566 12,000,000 23,492,641 21,860,000 9,852,932 10,321,794 157,278,780 211,193,339 325,845,530 40,677,345 9,607,671 9,400,208 9,240,857 1,294,382 11,857,055 22,279,781 24,366,000 9,017,949 8,124,424 160,359,741 182,865,391 271,241,364 35,916,638 7,613,961 10,358,654 8,838,284 1,550,417 11,938,817 24,535,000 10,592.704 201,740,961 247,224,591 390,443,166 48,548,285 10,850,000 Totals. 485,115,972 666,388,330 709,532,139 842,143,641 754,536,197 956,262,225 * Includes power sold in Oregon. ** Pacific Gas & Electric Company includes Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Company and Western States Gas & Electric Company; Southern California Edison Company includes Ojai Power Company and Ontario Power Company. % Estimated values based on 1926-1927 returns. TABLE 10 Summary of Totals and Averages of Number of Consumers, Connected Load, Energy Consumption, and Cost to Farmer of Electricity Sold by Thirteen Power Companies in California, on Agricultural Power, Schedules : California Eailroad Commision Eeports 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 Number of consumers.... 28,778 $8,300,603.22 352,706 485,115,972 12.28 16,891 1.71 1,383 33,258 $9,957,163.76 405,011 666,388,330 12.21 20,562 1.47 1,657 37,907 $10,821,619.05 465,711 709,532,139 12.32 19,199 1.49 1,536 43,786 $12,456,981.97 518,841 842,143,641 12.15 19,236 1.48 1,603 47,416 $11,978,718.64 553,074 754,536,197 11.69 15,913 1.59 1,350 49,067 $14,303,589.50 Kilowatts, connected 591,538 Kilowatt-hours con- 956,262,225 Connected load per con- sumer, kilowatts Annual consumption, kilowatt-hours, per 12.05 19,480 Price per kilowatt-hour, 1.41 Kilowatt-hours per kilo- watt connected load .. 1,616 16 University of California — Experiment Station ESTIMATED USE FOR THE ENTIRE STATE FOR 1925 A study of the quantities given in the previous tables brings out the need for some consistent method of extending the data obtained from the surveys so as to cover the entire state of California. The ratio of the total number of card questionnaires mailed out to the total number returned was 5.4, but because the farmers most likely to fill in and return the cards would be those who were favorable toward electricity, the returns should no doubt be multiplied by a smaller factor in order to obtain state-wide totals. The number of irrigation TABLE 11 General Statistics* on the Number of Consumers of Electricity, Electcic Appliances, and Electrically Driven Machines Used on California Farms in 1925 Motors (all sizes not including domestic) Farms receiving central station service... Lighting consumers Irrigation motors Flatirons Washing machines Vacuum cleaners Toasters Domestic water supply motors.. Curling irons Ranges Portable fans Percolators Space heaters Farms using electricity for cooking Water heaters (fixed type) Waffle irons Sewing machines Incubators Table grills Heating pads Battery chargers Bell transformers Brooders Cream separators Shop motors Milking machines Feed grinders Refrigerators Immersion heaters (portable type) Ironing machines (mangles) Dehydrater fans Wood saws Dish washing machines Silo fillers Number of items 63,225 51,000 49,800 39,000 34,800 18,000 17,800 17,000 12,500 11,980 11,300 10,000 9,200 9,300 9,060 6,700 6,420 6,400 5,700 5,480 5,320 5,130 4,980 4,400 1,570 1,400 1,370 1,280 1,090 1,060 820 600 400 170 115 Horsepower, connected load 656,000 24,000 430 2,960 2,750 5,400 1,940 7,800 1,400 1,760 * Based on post card questionnaire returns adjusted so as to include the entire state. Oir. 316] Electrical Statistics for California Farms 17 motors and the total irrigation connected loads are included in both the postcard survey and the power company questionnaire. Because of the special schedules used by the power companies in serving the agricultural consumer with power, their returns on the connected load and on the number of consumers furnish a definite basis for compari- son. The ratio of the number of motors indicated on the power com- pany questionnaire to that obtained from the postcard survey was 5.09, and the ratio of connected loads was 4.85. Because these factors, considered from different angles, came so close together, 5 was taken as a factor by which the returns on the postcards should be multiplied to give the number of each item for the whole state. The extended data are shown in table 11. THE TREND OF AGRICULTURAL ELECTRIFICATION The general trend of the use of electricity in agricultural pro- duction, exclusive of domestic uses, is indicated by figure 5. The diagram of the number of agricultural consumers resembles very closely that for the total connected load : they are both on the increase, and the change is uniform. The diagram for the revenue and that for kilowatt-hours consumed also resemble each other, but the upward tendency shown by both is less uniform than in the case of the diagrams for connected load and number of consumers. The reason for this difference lies in the fact that a farmer who has an irrigation pump keeps it and consumes electric energy whether he has a light crop or a heavy crop, whether prices are high or low, whether water level is high or low, and whether the season is wet or dry. His connected load, too, remains more or less independent of these factors, but the extent to which he uses his electricity depends greatly upon the season, the condition of his well, and the efficiency of his machinery. In 1926, which was known as a dry year, the connected load and number of consumers for power varied very little from the uniform rate of increase, yet the consumption and revenue both took a jump, while the reverse was true in 1927. This can at least in part be explained by the fact that 1927 was a more favorable crop year from the standpoint of rainfall than was 1926. Both the amount of rain and the time it falls affect the pumping demand. Table 10 shows plainly that while both the connected load per consumer and the price per kilowatt-hour are fairly constant through- out the years 1923 to 1928 inclusive, there is a tendency towards a slightly smaller plant; but there is little reduction in the overall revenue to the power company per kilowatt-hour consumed. 18 University of California — Experiment Station Chart Show/no the Genera/ Trend of Electric Power on California rarms 13 feOO 12 rn530 m n to to s «o M W M CM <\) O C> V 1 ts §500 34-50 6 10 CO § 9 K*oo $ 8 ^350 f 7 *C <0 I 300 k 6 ^ § 25 ° ^5 ^ -^200 JS CD o' 5 ° gioo U 50 ^ 3 *, . . O (0 ■* 10 (\J £| £J *!) N U) \J Od fsj Oi Oi 0\ O 1 (O M" O tD (VJ KJ N S 0> fl> ff 1 O 900 850 750 700 <0<&5O .o E" «o W « N N N N (f\ Q> ^ Qi 0\ g* Fig. 5. — The general trend of the use of electricity on California farms is upward. The increase in the number of consumers and in the connected load is practically independent of seasonal conditions, but the consumption and revenue depend on rainfall, temperature, and other factors affecting the crops. These charts are taken from annual reports made to the California Committee on the Relation of Electricity to Agriculture by thirteen of the power com- panies selling power to the farm, and represent the major load. That the trend is upward in each of the large agricultural areas of California is also evident from the monthly curves, figure 6, of three of the larger companies. One serves a large section in the southern part of the state, another the San Joaquin Valley and central part, and the third the Sacramento Valley and northern part. This power load is decidedly peaky in its characteristic for each of the companies, having a high peak in midsummer when irrigation is heavy and a low valley in midwinter when there is little or no irriga- tion. Sufficient energy must be furnished in the winter to take care of heating of brooders and incubators and sterilizers, and for operat- ing small motors such as are used on dairies, poultry ranches and stock farms, but this is very small compared with the irrigation load Cir, 316 J Electrical Statistics for California Farms 19 in the summer months. This seasonal characteristic may or may not be helpful to the power company depending upon its other loads and upon its system of generation and distribution of electricity. V) ■5 60 * SO 1 J 30 o Electrical Eneroy Consumed For Form Power Purposes Co) Southern California Edison Ca x Son Jboauin Light and Power Co. (c) Pacific Gas and Electric Co. IO Fig. 6. — Chart showing the monthly characteristics of electrical energy consumed by California farmers, for power purposes only (mostly irrigation), for three representative companies in the large agricultural areas. The previous tables and charts show that the California farmer already uses electricity extensively and that the trend is upward. They also show that the heaviest farm load occurs in the summertime, that the peak appears in July or August, and the valley in January, and that over fifty per cent of the energy used for power purposes is consumed during the months of June, July, August and September. The operation of smaller equipment for a longer period of time and the adoption of more extensive winter uses such as room and water heating, brooding, and hatching, are two methods of filling in the low valley during the winter months. The farmer and the utility are therefore mutually dependent upon each other, the one to spread his uses over a longer period of time, and the other to make it profitable for him to do so. The accompanying tables and charts may, it is hoped, serve to show to some degree the extent of the present uses and to stimulate activities that will make possible the development of the farm uses in such a way as to further the interests of the farmer. 20 University of California — Experiment Station ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer is indebted to Mr. N. R. Sutherland of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Francisco, to Professor C. M. Titus of the University of California, Davis, and to Mr. L. S. Wing of the Cali- fornia Farm Bureau Federation for their valuable assistance in com- piling the data and editing the manuscript; to Mr. E. D. Murray of the California Railroad Commission, San Francisco, for making available the annual reports; to Mr. A. G. Cage of the Southern Sierras Power Company, Riverside, Mr. Lloyd Henley of the San Joaquin Light & Power Corp., Fresno, Mr. R. Jenny of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Francisco, Mr. W. C. McWhinney of the Southern California Edison Company, Los Angeles, Mr. R. J. O'Con- nell of the Modesto Irrigation District, Modesto, Mr. R. A. Sharon of the Great Western Power Company, San Francisco, and Mr. R. W. Shoemaker, of the Turlock Irrigation District, Turlock, for furnishing statistics of their respective loads. The power utilities and irrigation districts helped in obtaining the postcard survey. The response of the farmers and the promptness in filling out and returning the postal card questionnaires is also appreciated. 15m-10,'29