SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / CA / Tehama

Tehama County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

42.2
Risk Grade
Good
Very rural North Sacramento Valley county with flat terrain near Red Bluff offering viable utility-scale sites; conservative development-receptive Board of Supervisors; PG&E territory with adequate interconnection capacity; low land costs; limited existing solar means early-mover advantage exists; hot summers provide excellent solar resource comparable to Shasta County; solid emerging secondary market for utility-scale solar
Assessment Snapshot
Population
65000
State Rank
#6
Compliance
40%
Trajectory
33

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
50 ft from property lines; additional setbacks from residences; case-by-case
Zoning Mechanism
CUP via Tehama County Planning Commission; Board of Supervisors final; CEQA standard review
Acreage Caps
None formal
Spacing Rules
Not specified; case-by-case
Size Restrictions
No formal size restrictions; rural county with extensive available land

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Favorable; conservative rural county with development-receptive BOS; agricultural community accepts solar on non-prime land; no organized opposition
Basis for Assessment
Tehama County General Plan; Tehama County Planning Dept; CA Energy Commission; PG&E interconnection data
Political Risk Factors
Conservative; property-rights oriented; receptive to agricultural economic diversification; no organized solar opposition
Board Members
Bob Williams | R | 2026; Dennis Garton | R | 2028; Bob Brewer | R | 2026; Bill Moule | R | 2028; John Leach | 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
3
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
0

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes