Last Monday, a company called Rainmaker announced that its rain-triggering technology had produced 143 million gallons of fresh water for residents of Utah and Oregon — making it “the first private company in history to validate the results of cloud seeding operations.”
The Deseret News reports :
Founded in 2023, Rainmaker uses drones to spray silver iodide into clouds. It then tracks rainfall with advanced radar. But Rainmaker — and every other rain-enhancing company — faces the daunting challenge of validation. Because there is no reliable control for testing and because weather is variable, the Government Accountability Office says the technology’s benefits are unproven.
To overcome this assessment challenge, Rainmaker flies drones in unique patterns during cloud seeding. Operators then separately compare radar and satellite signatures of where their drones were operating.
Since April, Rainmaker has found 82 clear cloud seeding signatures, indicating that its operations directly caused rainfall. In Utah and Oregon alone, the company said its cloud seeding efforts have delivered enough water to meet the annual use of about 1.750 households. However, “this number likely represents only a small fraction of Rainmaker’s total production at this time,” the company said in a press release.
The precision of their drones, combined with their radar systems, produce satellite images that demonstrate a direct correlation between cloud seeding and rainfall.
Rainmaker’s announcement promises that they will “move forward and continue their mission to refill the Great Salt Lake, end drought in the American West, and provide abundant water where it’s needed most around the world.” (Rainmaker currently operates in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, California, and Colorado.)
The director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources told the Deseret News that with cloud seeding, "the cost is so low. It's really the smartest thing we can do with our money."
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
