Soaking up sun

Red Bluff may soon be home to California’s largest array of solar panels, according to the Red Bluff Daily News.

On April 17, the Tehama County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Solar Panel Inc. project, which would produce 15 to 20 megawatts and include 10-foot-tall continuously rotating panels that collect energy from the sun’s rays. The energy would then be routed to a nearby “transformer”—a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another—and then to a Pacific Gas & Electric facility.

While similar projects have been proposed around the state, the project is expected to be the first to begin development. Construction may start as early as this year and will employ up to 150 people during peak months.

Some of the project’s installation costs will be covered by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act bonds, according to the Daily News.