Norco, a city often referred to as Horsetown USA, is considering plans to build a plant to convert its manure to energy. Each day, this Riverside County city generates 65 tons of manure thanks to its 17,000 horses.
The current cost to ship each ton of manure from homes and stables to drying fields about 10 miles away is $17.25 - that's over $400,000 per year.
According to the city, the proposed plant, designed by Chevron Energy Solutions, would eliminate this cost and generate annual power revenues of approximately $7 million. This plant could be the first of its kind.
The City Council voted 5 to 0 last week to proceed with an environmental impact report on the proposed plant.
The project would create 12 jobs and provide permanent relief for the 14-square-mile city's disposal problem, said Norco Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Azevedo, a horse owner and resident of 40 years.
One consideration the plan hinges on is whether the city can secure long-term leases on the drying fields. Without those leases, the manure could start piling up instead of being dried for conversion to energy.
If everything goes according to plan, the $35-million plant could be burning Norco's horse manure for electricity within two years on an unincorporated area a few miles outside of town.
Horse towns around the country will look to Norco as a leader in the green energy movement.
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