Date
martes, julio 20, 2021
The Air District is announcing the deployment of seven zero-emission tractors at Bay Area farms as part of an approximately $1 million grant through the Funding Agricultural Reduction Measures for Emission Reductions, or FARMER, program to demonstrate zero-emission technology in Bay Area agricultural operations.
The program is the first-of-its-kind in California, where moving from diesel-powered to zero-emission equipment across all sectors of the economy is a priority to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, criteria pollutants, and toxic emissions.
In 2020, the Air District awarded Monarch Tractor $480,000 and Solectrac by Ideanomics $514,688 for demonstration projects under the FARMER program. The grants support the advancement of battery-powered electric tractors, which are not yet commercially available on a large scale.
Since the FARMER program’s founding in 2017, the Air District has awarded over $4 million in grants to Bay Area agricultural operations to reduce toxic diesel emissions. The program aims to test the viability of emerging technologies to determine if they can serve the same function as the diesel-powered equipment they would replace. The program will further California’s toxic and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and the Air District’s Diesel Free by ’33 initiative. For more information, visit the Air District's Agricultural Equipment Grants web page.
Monarch Tractor is an electric tractor manufacturer with a fully electric tractor platform built to empower farmers by enabling the profitable implementation of sustainable and organic practices. Solectrac by Ideanomics is a manufacturer and distributor of zero-emission electric farm and utility tractors that are powerful, low maintenance alternatives to polluting diesel equipment. Partnering farms where the tractors were deployed and data will be collected include Old School Vineyards in Napa, Arroyo Lindo Vineyard in Sonoma, Wente Vineyards in Livermore, The Mushroom Farm in Pescadero, and Crocker Estate in St. Helena.
The FARMER Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website.
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Last Updated: 20/07/2021