Imperial Western Products, Inc. is demonstrating how clean energy technology can help food processing facilities advance California’s climate and energy goals.
In 2019, the Coachella‑based company was awarded a $459,624 grant from California Climate Investments through the Food Production Investment Program to deploy energy efficiency upgrades at its facilities in the cities of Coachella, Mira Loma, and Selma. In 2020, the company received a second Food Production Investment Program grant worth $2,117,678 to design and operate a microgrid system at its Coachella facility.
Each year, Imperial Western Products processes 500,000 tons of residual food and other organic waste into animal feed, reducing organic waste directed to landfills and avoiding associated greenhouse gas emissions. The company is well‑integrated into the regional economy, sourcing its stock from local cotton‑gins, food and pet food producers, and used cooking oil facilities. The installation of low‑emission boilers, heat exchangers, and more, as well as reduced electricity and natural gas consumption, are saving money and reducing emissions.
The microgrid will make Imperial Western Products’ Coachella facility more resilient and capable of continuing operations during an outage by using solar panels and batteries to produce and store energy. An additional benefit is that during normal operations, it will reduce use of grid energy, shave peak loads, and enable participation in demand response.
The efficiency project and microgrid are anticipated to annually save nearly 113,000 therms of natural gas and 1.5 million kilowatt‑hours of electricity respectively, together avoiding 1,010 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
All three Imperial Western Products manufacturing facilities are located in under‑resourced communities. By requiring subcontractors to work with local agencies and post job opportunities locally, manufacturing jobs created by these projects will directly benefit low‑income residents. Further, Imperial Western Products routinely works with local schools and colleges to fill jobs and, to demonstrate the benefits of clean energy technology, the company offers facility tours highlighting clean energy technology.
These Food Production Investment Program‑funded projects have received strong support from local officials, including Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez. “I applaud Imperial Western Products on the success of their California Energy Commission grant(s)…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,” Mayor Hernandez said. “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.”