Western ranchers in some remote areas replacing windmills with solar-powered water pumps
By APWednesday, July 14, 2010
Solar wells displacing windmills on Western range
ALCOVA, Wyo. — A new breed of renewable technology is displacing the iconic windmills that have pumped well water on American rangeland for more than a century.
An increasing number of Western ranchers are pulling down their old windmills and converting to solar-powered systems to pump well water for livestock in areas without surface water.
Solar-powered pumps have been available for more than 20 years, but some agriculture officials and ranchers say the increasing efficiency and durability of solar systems have now made them a primary option for new wells.
Windmills are unlikely to disappear from the landscape. Many ranches that have relied on windmills for generations have the know-how and equipment to keep their windmills operating.
