30.2

Risk Grade

Excellent

Flat Sacramento Valley county with low population density (~19/sq mi) and receptive political environment; Williamson Act land adds process but supervisors allow removal on marginal agricultural parcels; improving permitting trajectory; PG&E transmission accessible along I-5 corridor; rice farming creates some land use tension on prime Class I-II soils

Assessment Snapshot

Population

21547

State Rank

Compliance

32%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

150 ft from occupied residences; 50 ft from property lines

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit (CUP); CEQA review; Williamson Act land requires contract cancellation or notice of non-renewal

Acreage Caps

None specified

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

Projects >500 kW require CUP

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Generally supportive — low-density agricultural community; county supervisors receptive to solar on non-prime farmland; rice farming community distinguishes prime rice land from marginal parcels

Basis for Assessment

County planning records; supervisor votes; public hearing minutes; Colusa County Farm Bureau statements

Political Risk Factors

Improving

Board Members

Daurice Lucero | R | 2026; Denise Carter | R | 2028; Connie Jarvis | R | 2026; Roberto Reyes | R | 2028; Gary Evans | R | 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

CAISO — PG&E Balancing Authority

Utilities

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

State Permitting Process

County zoning + CEQA review required; CEC siting jurisdiction for projects >50 MW on state/federal land; Coastal Commission review for coastal zone; DRECP DFAs streamline desert county permitting

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; California Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) for storage; CA Renewables Portfolio Standard procurement; CPUC approved procurement programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Colusa Solar (~20 MW, ACS Colusa LLC, 2022); Colusa County Solar Farm (~15 MW, 2023); additional distributed and agricultural solar projects

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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Colusa County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment