This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Solar run irrigation offers new hope for Southwest
In Gila Bend Arizona a 22 000 acre farm hosts what may be the world s largest solar powered irrigation system. Aluminum curved collectors track the sun powering a 50 horsepower pump to feed 50 ditches with water. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Battelle Memorial Institute back a 500 000 pilot project to cut irrigation costs and test solar energy as a drought and fuel price solution. The system starts with a small electrical starter, heats Freon, drives a turbine, and feeds irrigation. Officials say the setup is feasible but not economical yet, hoping to attract manufacturers to slash initial costs and compete with conventional pumps. If oil and gas costs rise further, solar pumps could become common within a decade.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of
Milwaukee
Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus
Ohio
California
Texas
Southwest
Northwestern Mutual
Arizona
Francis E. Ferguson
Northwetern
Northwestern
Battelle
Federal Energy Research and Development Administration
New Mexico
Mexico
Graham Alexander
Alexander
Thomas W. Harvey
OPEC
Harvey
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
United States
Gila River Ranch