How California Farmers can generate revenue automatically with the PG&E Demand Response Program

Verdi has partnered with Yield Energy to help California growers participate in utility-approved Demand Response programs — turning temporary load reductions into a new revenue stream, while keeping irrigation and farm operations in control.

Participation is optional, automated, and only recommended when it fits your operation.

Run your entire irrigation system from your phone

Demand Response gives farmers revenue for reducing load when the grid needs it.

Demand Response programs pay electricity customers to temporarily reduce or shift electricity usage during periods of high grid demand or emergency conditions.

For farms, this typically means:

Reducing irrigation pump load for short windows
Shifting run times outside event periods
Using on-site generation or storage during events

Yield Energy manages program enrollment, dispatch, and payments.

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How much revenue can farms expect from PG&E Demand Response?

Demand Response revenue varies based on:

Reducible kW capacity
Event frequency and duration
Program structure (capacity payments, event payments, or both)

For larger, flexible loads, payments can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per month, depending on commitment and performance.

Yield Energy reviews your data at no cost and provides realistic projections before enrollment.

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Talk to someone about this program today

Verdi Block Controller Irrigation Scheduling on a phone

Why Demand Response works for farms

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Agricultural operations are uniquely well-suited

Demand Response is often a strong fit for farms because:

Seasonal flexibility
Pumping, cooling, and processing schedules often have timing flexibility.
High-impact electrical loads
Irrigation pumps and compressors provide meaningful, measurable load reductions.
Revenue plus resilience
Programs can generate payments that in some cases reach $30,000 in payments per year.

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How Yield Energy works for farmers

Yield Energy:

Works directly with utilities like PG&E
Enrolls farms in appropriate Demand Response programs
Manages dispatch signals, telemetry, compliance, and payments
Ensures programs remain optional and operationally appropriate

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Other programs offered by Yield Energy

While using Verdi, you can also take advantage of the Hourly Flex Pricing Program to reduce energy costs.

Is your farm eligible?

Hourly Flex Pricing is currently available to agricultural customers who:

Have pumps controlled by through a Yeild Energy Agreement
Are on eligible agricultural rate plans (AG-A1, AG-A2, AG-B, AG-C)
Are served by PG&E or a participating CCA
Meet program participation rules

Yield Energy will review your operation at no cost and explain eligibility, restrictions, or waitlist status before you commit.

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"The experience working with everyone at Verdi has been fantastic. Just the level of care with adopting the system to our needs has been fantastic. They have been there every step of the way, no questions have gone unanswered and I feel very confident in our relationship with Verdi. I would recommend Verdi to just about anyone."

Scott Woody

Vineyard Manager, Tantalus Vineyards

"Verdi allows us to irrigate over 100 vineyard blocks across our 7 different vineyards and 12 varietals. We can fine tune irrigation for each block and each varietal based on soil moisture sensors and other data to have the best possible grape quality at the end of the season."

Stephanie Adamson

Data and Irrigation Technician, Quails' Gate Estate Winery

"Verdi is everything we need in one system for irrigation. Automated irrigation control, environmental sensor data and irrigation verification. We are able to schedule our irrigations according to the moisture content in the soil and if we have a line break or an inaccurate irrigation we receive an alert."

Mike Watson

Senior Viticulturist, Arterra Wines Canada

Matt Fortuna 50th Parallel Estate Winery

"Before Verdi I would spend up to four hours a day turning on valves, turning on pumps, ensuring everything was working on our 50 acre vineyard. Now I can remotely plan and execute my irrigations within 15 or 20 minutes which has really freed me up to do bigger and better things on our site."

Matthew Fortuna

Vineyard Manager & Winemaker, 50th Parallel Estate Winery

"Verdi has greatly improved my efficiency and confidence by allowing remote monitoring of pressure, flow, and valve operation, ensuring everything runs smoothly and sending me an alert when there is an issue."

Kyle Stauber

Head Grower, McIntyre Creek Cannabis

"Verdi is fully wireless, making installation and maintenance simple. Within a matter of hours it can be operational and it is honestly amazing how effective it was for us right out of the gate. We will be expanding Verdi to all our farms."

Erasmo Nunez

Vineyard Manager, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery

"Quails' Gate is able to spend less time on irrigation while increasing our confidence that the vines are receiving the water they need. Verdi provides amazing on-field service."

Judy Wanbon

Vineyard Manager, Quails' Gate Estate Winery

"We were able to achieve uniform vigor and high quality throughout our premium Malbec vineyard block by reducing both under-irrigation and over-irrigation with Verdi’s precision variable rate irrigation platform. We are very excited about the potential for this technology. Verdi gives you the freedom to remotely turn on valves day or night, saving water and time."

Nelson Dutra

Vineyard Manager, Arterra Wines Canada

Curious whether Demand Response fits your operation?

If you have large pumps, flexible schedules, or on-site generation, Demand Response may be worth exploring.

We’ll review your operation, explain the trade-offs, and only recommend participation if the numbers and operations make sense.

Book a meeting and find out more, today.