Agricultural Economics, Department of
Cornhusker Economics
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Are We There Yet! Can Electric Battery Storage Level Out Electric Irrigation Costs?
Date of this Version
4-22-2026
Document Type
Newsletter Issue
Citation
Cornhusker Economics, April 22, 2026
Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
Most recently, while researching information about the cost of irrigating with electricity, using NPPD’s (Nebraska Public Power District’s) four options for purchasing electricity, it occurred to me that with the introduction of electrical storage (batteries), it might be possible to use several of these various rate differences to reduce costs while maintaining full access to power. NPPD’s four purchase programs/options are No Control (NC), Time-of-Use (TOU), and two interruptible programs, Two-Day/week-Control (TDC), and Anytime Control (ATC). The challenge of using TOU is the escalating kilowatt costs during peak hours (10 am to 10 pm), twelve hours a day, and still be able to fully irrigate the crop during its high-water consumption phase. For TDC and ATC, their issue relates to possible power shutdowns (usually in five-hour blocks) on various weekdays at a critical phase of production, possibly reducing yields. These shutdowns and price spikes become more problematic during mid-season due to the increase in irrigation needs caused by hotter weather and increasing crop maturity. These three programs are incentivized by offering cheaper rates.