Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), Imperial Western Products, and the City of Coachella recently held a check presentation ceremony to announce and celebrate a $2,117,678 grant from the California Energy Commission. This state grant will allow Imperial Western Products to construct a microgrid system to produce and store renewable electricity. The project will provide increased energy reliability and local workforce development opportunities while reducing operating costs and GHG emissions at their Coachella facility.
“I am proud to congratulate Imperial Western Products on their over $2 million grant award and am grateful to the California Energy Commission for recognizing the immense value of this renewable energy and economic development project. Imperial Western Products is a prime example of the leadership our California companies must strive for as we work to achieve our environmental, public health, and especially now our economic recovery goals. Our success in securing this investment is a testament to the strong regional partnerships we have forged and builds on our concerted advocacy efforts to drive these dollars home to our district,” said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia.
Trent Trawick, Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Western Products, stated, “We are very excited to work with the California Energy Commission, Assemblymember Garcia, and our local city government to bring this opportunity to the City of Coachella. The IWP Microgrid helps us continue our legacy of environmental stewardship. This project will result in the creation of 47 jobs, a reduction of 344 metric tons of CO2 per year, and help California achieve its Climate Investment goals.”
Imperial Western Products transforms materials such as agricultural organic byproducts, bakery byproducts, and used cooking oil into animal feed, preventing nearly 700,000 tons of organic material from entering landfills each year. In partnership with Gridscape and Planet Solar the installation of this cutting-edge project will help Imperial Western Products’ Coachella facility to reduce its total grid energy usage by more than 35 percent, reducing its GHG emissions by over one-third. The microgrid will also increase reliability by allowing the facility to continue operations during a utility blackout.
Vice Chair Janea Scott from the California Energy Commission states “Achieving California’s clean energy goals relies on innovative technologies and approaches in every sector. Imperial Western Products is leveraging funding from the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Food Production Investment Program (FPIP) to design, build, and operate a state of the art microgrid at their Coachella Valley facility to help understand and expand the role renewable energy microgrids in industrial settings. Through this and other projects, the CEC’s FPIP helps food producers accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge energy technologies and strategies to ensure California remains a leader in decarbonizing the economy.”
This award marks the second grant the family owned company has received from the California Energy Commission. With the aid of their first grant in 2018, Imperial Western Products was able to upgrade their Coachella facility with more efficient boilers, motors, and compressors reducing their annual GHG emissions by an estimated 659.9 MTCO2e/ year. Combined with the new microgrid project, Imperial Western Products is on track to become one of the most energy efficient food production facilities in California.
“I applaud Imperial Western Products on the success of their California Energy Commission grant application. Over the years, this family-owned company has grown as a tremendous asset to the City, placing us in the industry spotlight through their innovative advancements and by providing quality jobs for our families. They share our vision for a healthier and more environmentally sustainable Coachella, and I am excited to see them work alongside Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia to bring additional state investments into our community,” said Mayor Steven Hernandez, City of Coachella.
