North State rice grower goes solar

Colusa Rice Co. last week dedicated a 314-kilowatt solar array and was awarded a $789,293 rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for the system.

Expected to generate more than 402,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year—enough to power about 60 average-size homes—the array is the largest solar system in Colusa County. The system will export any excess electricity to PG&E’s electrical grid, earning Colusa Rice energy credit the company can draw upon during the times the array does not produce enough electricity.

According to PG&E, the system helps reduce the need for energy from fossil-fuel-burning plants. The project’s impact on air quality is the equivalent to removing 20 vehicles from the road or eliminating 143 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions every year.