Wisconsin Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Resource
Your resource site for information on energy conservation.Farm Rewiring
The utility industry in Wisconsin has been upgrading the power distribution system for a number of years in a effort to provide clean reliable power to Wisconsin's agricultural enterprises. However, individual farm electrical systems are often overloaded and deteriorating due to the transition from manual labor to more mechanization and the high moisture environment of animal agriculture. Time has taught us that farm buildings need to be wired with plastic conduit and water tight enclosures instead of metal conduit and residential electrical boxes. The state's utilities launched a program to assist particularly dairy farmers to upgrade the wiring in their animal housing facilities to current electrical standards in an effort to reduce the likelihood of stray voltage and to improve electrical safety. Financial assistance varies depending on your utility but the basic program provided 50% matching grants up to a maximum threshold and then low interest loads to pay for the costs of rewiring. Contact your local utility or electrical cooperative for additional information.
Links
- WDATCP Bulletin on Rewiring programs - http://datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/agriculture/farm-center/pdf/farm_rewiring_newsletter.pdf
- Alliant Energy - http://www.alliantenergy.com/docs/groups/public/documents/pub/p014705.hcsp
- Wisconsin Public Service - http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/farm/farm_rewiring.asp
- Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association - http://www.weca.coop/we/safetyfirstfp.htm
- Xcel Energy - http://www.xcelenergy.com/XLWEB/CDA/0,3080,1-1-3_4530_7432-6730-11_24_70-0,00.html
- WE Energies - http://www.we-energies.com/agricultureservices/index.htm
Wisconsin Utilities Rewiring Programs:
If you have information you think would be useful to this site please contact
Scott Sanford, Senior Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin, sasanford@wisc.edu.
