World Ag Expo assists viewers in visualizing integration of clean energy


03/29/2023


The future has arrived for Southern California Edison's business and residential customers in the agriculturally rich Central Valley. That is SCE's message at the World Ag Expo, the world's largest agriculture trade show, which brings together over 100,000 people from all over the world to learn about emerging trends and technologies in agriculture and beyond. 

SCE has been a sponsor and exhibitor at the Tulare Expo for over 30 years. SCE is assisting visitors in visualizing how to integrate clean energy into their daily lives, in addition to daily electric safety demonstrations by linemen.

“The World Ag Expo provides SCE an opportunity to continue to engage our agriculture and Central Valley customers with our programs and services to enable clean power solutions through electrification and related opportunities for increasing operational efficiencies and a cleaner energy future,” said Mike Bushey, director of SCE’s Business Customer Division.

Visitors to the SCE booth will enter an imagined "smart home," complete with an induction cooktop, smart thermostat, electric heat pump water heater, battery storage system, and an EV parked in the garage. The smart home display simulates how residents can use electric technology in their homes now and in a decade or more. Switching to energy-efficient home systems can put people on a path to sustainability, resulting in long-term cost savings.

“Space and water heating systems are the two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in residential buildings,” said Jose Buendia, senior manager of SCE’s Building Electrification Program Operations. “One of the benefits of electric appliances is that they can be programmed to operate during off-peak hours. This means customers can take advantage of our more favorable Time-of-Use rates, and those who install electric heat pumps can receive an additional electric baseline allowance on their monthly bill.” 

Building electrification is about more than just adopting the most cutting-edge technology; it's about achieving the state's zero-carbon emissions goal by 2045. SCE's Pathway 2045 blueprint estimates that 30% of residential and commercial space and water heaters must be electric by 2030, and 70% by 2045, to get there. With the first major milestone approaching in seven years, California can no longer afford to put off decarbonization, and everyone's participation is more important than ever.

“Something's afoot — climate change is real, and we feel the impacts through wildfires, driven by high winds, and there’s more extreme weather everywhere,” Buendia said.

“The state and many others have identified electrification as the most cost-effective way to mitigate the impacts of climate change. There are also many health benefits and opportunities for customers to save money as we move in this direction.” 

SCE's Energy Education Centers offer free online classes to visitors to the World Ag Expo who are considering how they can participate in electrification or anyone interested in decarbonization. Starting now, Californians can work together to power a clean energy future.

To enroll in SCE's online electrification classes, visit on.sce.com/electrification

To Learn more about electric technologies and their benefits by visiting sce.com/cleanenergy.