RED BLUFF — On a picturesque spring day in Red Bluff, where the birds were singing and a light breeze kept things calm, Chico Electric gave out its NC “Cec” Nielsen Memorial Founder’s Sustainability Award to Pacific Farms and Orchards Inc. of Gerber.
Chico Electric Owners Norm Nielsen described the family-owned Pacific Farms as showing love between generations, being innovative and actively engaged in the latest technologies like solar energy.
According to Nielsen, Pacific Farms has a very progressive energy utilization program. He said their vision and risk of implementing sustainable practices resulted in what is here today; a legitimate alternative to the utilities with their solar systems, totaling 300 kilowatts of power.
“The vanguard of a revolutionary energy trend, Pacific Farms solar has offset over 320 metric tons of greenhouse gas per year, that equivalent of powering nearly 65 homes for one year or consuming nearly 32,000 gallons of diesel,” Nielsen added.
Brendon Flynn accepted the award on behalf of his family and company. He touched on community legacy and gratitude and discussed his mother’s importance to their business.
“I think I mentioned that it is not as easy as it looks, right,” Flynn said. “I think all those of us that do it understand that. We also understand not only is the team on the farm, but it is the entirety of the team that helped us get all these things done and get going.”
Chico Electric develop this award to honor the founder of Chico Electric, Cec Nielsen, honor an exceptional customer and recognize a local charity with a donation.
The company donated $5,000 to the Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux. Father Paul Mark Schwan acknowledged Pacific Farms for choosing the donation to the monastery. He told the gathering the church and company have a great friendship spending nearly 70 years, dating back to the late 1950s.
“It really meant a lot to us that they would remember us in this in this very generous grant in memory of your father and what he tried and what he successfully created in our region in Chico,” Schwan said.
Congressman Doug LaMalfa was present at the ceremony and presented Pacific Farms with a signed recognition document from his office.
“We talk about our energy grid in this state; it is really stretched to the limit a lot of times, as we know, whether it is a power shut off because the wind came up, or just in general, not enough supply,” LaMalfa said.”We really need what we are doing here today.”
Representatives from Assemblyman James Gallagher’s and Senator Brian Dahle’s offices likewise made the same gestures.
