By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

Groundbreaking for big NAS Lemoore data center and energy project near | John Lindt

NAS Lemoore is expected to announce groundbreaking for construction of a new $1 billion data center, solar farm and battery storage project that has been proposed by the company Ameresco. The Massachusetts energy giant has a lease for 930 acres with the US Navy on land surrounding the Kings County base.

Ameresco has been working on the project since they bought the company Bright Canyon in 2023 who was talking to the Navy. Even before that, in 2016 the Navy and Recurrent Energy signed a lease agreement to build a 167-megawatt solar facility on the same 930 acres of land at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Kings County, before anyone dreamt of data centers.

So, will it finally happen?

“NAS Lemoore should be announcing soon (within the next couple of months) a ground breaking ceremony for this project,” reports Sarah Thrasher, public affairs officer at Naval Air Station Lemoore as of April 10.

Ameresco and their partner KKR-owned CyrusOne emphasized the data center part of the plan not mentioning solar but describing the project as an “AI-optimized data center to be — with a dedicated on-site energy generation facility built by Ameresco, forming a microgrid system that includes engine generators, control systems, and infrastructure upgrades.”

Last summer in a news release, the base executive officer said, “This initiative directly supports our national priorities in AI and energy dominance,” said NAS Lemoore Captain Jeffry Findlay. “By enabling secure, reliable power and compute infrastructure at NAS Lemoore, we’re strengthening our ability to support critical missions and ensure operational continuity for those who serve.”

An Ameresco news release said CyrusOne has been tapped to deliver the data center infrastructure, which will be part-based on the capabilities of its Intelliscale platform. The platform is designed for AI and high-density computing.

The project is expected to have a construction value of over $1 billion by one speculative estimate. The data center would employ 20 although the construction would need 400 workers. According to the 2023 EIR, the data center would be 600,000 square feet. When the formal announcement comes, we may know if these details are the same.

The lease of land has been around since 2015, passing through a number of private hands and now owned by Ameresco. A 2024 Supplemental EIR was done and is still on the base website saying the project includes 450MW of solar and” additional resilient energy systems (including electric vehicle charging stations, battery energy storage systems [BESS], and backup generation/microgrid.”

The big solar farm would join a dozen or so other big solar farms nearby including one being proposed by KKR-owned Avantus in the Buttonwillow area that is said to be the largest single solar project in California sprawling over both sides of I-5

Last September an Ameresco news release described the Navy project as follows.

The facility at NAS Lemoore will provide our federal customers with the secure, on-premise computing solution they need—paired with the resilience of onsite energy supply,” said John Hatem, EVP and CEO of CyrusOne. “Data centers are foundational to our information economy and critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in technological innovation, especially in AI. We’re proud to deliver this solution through our alliance with Ameresco.”

The first segment of the project is expected to come online in 2027 on land leased by Ameresco from the Department of Defense. The capacity of the data center and associated generation assets has not been disclosed. Ameresco has stated that, although the development agreements are still being finalized, it anticipates that it will be one of its largest energy assets.

“Ameresco is proud to develop energy infrastructure at NAS Lemoore that directly supports the growing demand for AI-ready data centers and related energy infrastructure,” said Nicole Bulgarino, president, Federal Solutions & Utility Infrastructure at Ameresco. “We look forward to working with the Navy and CyrusOne to develop this critical infrastructure that supports energy resiliency for the installation and meets the unique energy and reliability requirements of advanced AI data center workloads.”

A data center publication last summer pointed to the fact that the solar farm was not mentioned in the latest description.

News on the project first emerged back in October of last year, when it was reported that the Navy was working on a deal to lease 920 acres of land around Naval Air Station Lemoore to Ameresco.

According to reports, Ameresco was planning to construct a 425MW solar farm, which would have supplied power to an on-site data center. No news of a solar array was mentioned in the release announcing the partnership with the US Navy and CyrusOne.

One theory might be that the change in administrations and their priorities prompted Ameresco to emphasize the data center aspect of the project while downplaying the renewable power that will allow it to operate. President Donald Trump has expressed opposition to utility-scale solar and wind projects even as data center developers scramble to find power sources needed for these energy-hungry AI related centers.

Data centers are known to be water thirsty as well, an issue that will need to be addressed. One estimate is that large data centers can consume 1 to 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling, equivalent to a town of 10,000–50,000 people.

By Faughn Energy • Tourism 0 Comments

Economic summit shines spotlight on Kern’s lower-profile industries

The energy sector has long occupied such a central position in the local economy that, when it spun off several years ago from the annual Kern County Economic Summit, less prominent industries couldn’t help but benefit.

That may have been truer Thursday morning than ever before as previously underappreciated industries around Kern County — tourism, aerospace and ag tech — took center stage in front of hundreds of people gathered inside the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center.

Their inclusion in panel and other discussions Thursday generated its own kind of optimism, in that the audience of business and government leaders heard compelling cases for bestowing greater attention and investment on the region’s promising but overlooked clusters.

Oil and renewable energy, the region’s signature industries, did receive mention at Thursday’s event, certainly when recognition was given to their contributions to the wider economy. But it was the underdogs that stole the show.

A panel of recreation and entertainment professionals made the case that hospitality not only represents a natural opportunity for Kern County, but that it deserves greater help from other players in the local economy.

Justin Powers, the founder of Kernville Cowork who’s leading an effort to build a community hub in Lake Isabella, noted the Kern River Valley draws most of its visitors from the Los Angeles Basin and overseas. Greater local benefits await, he said, if the region can attract greater resources.

“It doesn’t take a lot of investment to trigger a lot of economic impacts,” he said.

Co-panelist Kari Crutcher, executive director of the Ridgecrest Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, acknowledged that the city isn’t usually thought of as a destination. But she said that as a full-service community calling itself the Gateway to Death Valley, Ridgecrest is “a great stop on your way” to major tourism hot spots.

President Chris Kelley of the new Hard Rock Casino Tejon added employment considerations to the discussion. More than three-quarters of the casino’s employees are native to Kern, he said, and as part of that, the facility’s turnover rate is half that of the company’s other properties.

“That’s extremely impactful in a business like ours,” he said.

Kelley added that the casino’s performance has exceeded expectations: It’s on track to attract about 3 million visitors per year — 50% more than was anticipated, he said — and the share coming from L.A. is twice to four times the expected rate.

Earlier in the four-hour event, aerospace and its brother in arms, eastern Kern’s defense sector, shed new light on challenges like housing, education and healthcare that need to be addressed if the industry is to live up to its full employment potential.

Moderator Justin Salters elicited insights from aerospace and defense panelists, some of whom took the opportunity to share what happens when recruits bring specialized skills from around the country, only to land in a region where imperative healthcare may be a two-hour drive away.

Simply finding housing can be a challenge, said Col. Christopher J. Carnduff, commander of the 412th Mission Support Group at Edwards Air Force Base. Forty-five minute drives to work don’t support the base’s mission, he said, adding that local partnerships with housing developers would help.

Housing, education and healthcare “are constraints to growth,” he said, adding that lack of infrastructure needs to be addressed if the region wants to attract additional high-paying jobs.

Executive Vice President Jennifer Santiago at aerospace manufacturing company Scaled Composites called housing and quality of life among the company’s “biggest challenges,” even as the severity of the problem varies person to person.

All that said, the panelists seemed to agree the region’s aerospace and defense industries offer great economic potential, partly because of the uniqueness of their assets.

Carnduff said that, beyond having a giant, dry lakebed and usually clear skies, eastern Kern offers ample space for testing.

Santiago, for her part, said that while other areas place limitations on experimentation and testing, the Mojave area offers a streamlined experimental process.

With the energy industry relegated to its own annual Kern County summit, the local farming industry was given its own panel to discuss the rollout of ag technology such as drones and precision irrigation. Participants said such systems bring benefits but also sticking points.

Led by Cal State Bakersfield economist and ag business specialist Aaron Hegde, panelists noted how rising costs related to everything from labor and water to fertilizers has prodded local farmers to invest in new technology.

Not every new system pans out, Sunridge Nurseries President Rick Burnes said. It takes time for the industry to “weed out” technology that isn’t ready for deployment, he said.

It’s also important to find partners who can help bear the cost of proving the technology, he said. Otherwise, it sits on the shelf.

“It’s got to be a team effort,” he said.

Senior Vice President Daniel Terry at local ag supplier and service-provider Holloway commented on other challenges. He listed difficulties that included exposing new tech to dust and dirt, the need to run machines hard for long periods and the way some technologies require growers to give up proprietary information they have kept secret for generations.

Burnes said it has become more important than before to do data analysis.

“The guys who are winning are the guys who are running the numbers and looking at it,” he said.

While previous economic summits tended to be forecast- and data-heavy, most of the numbers Thursday came from just two economists from Cal State Bakersfield. One of them, Richard Gearhart, presented projections that were encouraging in some senses but worrisome in others.

The national economy made great strides between 2020 and 2025 in raising the buying power of the least-paid workers. But last year and this year, he said, job growth has been relatively slow.

A chart he presented indicated inflation-adjusted median wages in the United States are positioned to rise more than 10% by 2030, assuming the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for only three months.

But if the global petroleum bottleneck closes for two quarters, Gearhart’s chart showed, real wages will register minimal growth during that time. And if the strait is shut for three quarters, according to the projection, there will be virtually no increase in real wages through 2030.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/economic-summit-shines-spotlight-on-kerns-lower-profile-industries/article_b5b30072-4e4e-48ee-a7ae-7e73ad0c0f83.html

By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

Celebrating Clean Energy in Dos Palos!

Celebrating Clean Energy in Dos Palos!
The Merced County Community and Economic Development Department was proud to attend the Dos Palos Clean Power Ribbon Cutting on Oct. 17th! This 3-megawatt solar project, developed by Renewable America in partnership with Peninsula Clean Energy’s Green Access Program, is now officially online.
This project will:
Provide a positive community impact
Deliver lower electricity pricing
Support income-qualified customers in the City of Los Banos with a 20% reduction on their electric bills
We are excited to see how this local project will continue to benefit our residents and contribute to a more sustainable future for Merced County.
By Faughn Energy • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

Championing the Transition to Clean Energy

Mechanical engineering Professor Ricardo Pinto de Castro has turned a penchant for systems-level thinking and a longtime love of cars into a climate-resilient research mission. From electric vehicles (EVs) traversing San Francisco’s busiest streets to electric appliances such as induction stovetops and heat pumps becoming ubiquitous in homes, modern American society is transitioning away from fossil fuels to electric power from renewable energy sources, with climate change motivating even more rapid advancement.

De Castro, who also is a principal investigator at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS), has been interested in exploring how people adopt new technologies from his earliest days as a researcher.

“In undergrad, I really enjoyed opening a book and reading it from start to end,” said de Castro. “I am always driven to learn why things work the way they do. If you are in academia, you have to be a curious person, because the ‘why’ question is very important.”

De Castro holds three patents and has worked on projects ranging from electric tractors to robotic vehicles. Since joining the UC Merced faculty in 2021, de Castro has led a lab that combines power conversion with advanced control and optimization methods to achieve efficient, durable and reliable energy storage in electric and robotic vehicles. His team also explores the automation of vehicles, emphasizing safe motion planning and resilient control systems. And he advises the Bobcat Racing EV team that is designing and constructing a formula-style race car to compete in the Formula SAE competitions.

https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2025/championing-transition-clean-energy

By Faughn Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Valley Children’s Ensures Energy Resiliency With Pioneering Microgrid Project

Valley Children’s Healthcare broke ground today on an innovative microgrid project that will ensure the hospital’s long-term energy resilience and sustainability. The microgrid includes solar panels, fuel cells and battery storage that will allow it to generate, store and distribute electricity and reduce the hospital’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Valley Children’s state-of-the-art system will provide a reliable, clean energy source and ensure uninterrupted care for patients – even during power outages. It will be one of the largest renewable energy microgrids connected to a hospital emergency system in the country.

“Today marks a momentous milestone for Valley Children’s, and this initiative is a testament to our unwavering commitment that our hospital remains a beacon of hope and care, regardless of external circumstances,” said Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “By investing in this cutting-edge technology, we are securing a reliable energy source for our patients, doctors and staff and contributing to a more sustainable future for our community.”

Valley Children’s microgrid will incorporate renewable energy technologies, including solar photovoltaic materials designed in the shape of the hospital’s beloved mascot, George the Giraffe. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to cleaner air in a region with some of the nation’s poorest air quality.

When operational in 2025, the microgrid will cover 80% of the hospital’s energy needs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% and save $15 million in energy costs during the next 25 years. Importantly, it will ensure the hospital remains fully functional at all times, even during regional power outages.

In 2023, Valley Children’s joined the U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Climate Challenge, an initiative aimed at accelerating decarbonization across various sectors in the country.

“Congratulations to our Better Climate Challenge partner Valley Children’s Healthcare for breaking ground on a first-of-its-kind renewable energy microgrid,” said Maria Vargas, Director of the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative. “By improving community resilience and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, innovative projects like this are what the Better Climate Challenge is all about: meeting the challenge of climate change head-on and leading the way for others.”

“Our mission is driven by the unwavering belief that every child deserves the best possible future,” added Suntrapak. “Every decision we make is guided by our dedication to their health, safety and well-being. This project is not just about energy resilience. It is about ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.”

https://www.valleychildrens.org/news/news-story?news=1400&fbclid=IwY2xjawFpPKhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcopn-xDkk6Ty2CLCsPDsUMeNM5d1g1F4J9SrlX9AZTgYKtaVRnkEOMw7Q_aem_bvBQkL–g_rQ500IFo7IWA

By Faughn Economy • Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

NAS Lemoore plans lease of 425 MW solar farm and construction of data center

The US Navy is working on a lease of 920 acres of land around the Naval Air Station Lemoore base to a Massachusetts company who would construct a large 425 MW solar farm and build a data center the size of three Costcos on the base campus.

This is the third run to lease surrounding land at the base by the government to produce energy that could help protect the facility power supply and offer resiliency. Similar projects were proposed in 2015 and 2023 but no construction ever happened.

Now there is a new investor who could build this project that now includes a 600,000 square foot power-hungry data center — one of hottest commodities on Wall Street these days.

A draft environmental document (Supplemental Assessment-SEA) published in June says a new lessee — Ameresco — could sell the generated power to regional customers, including the onsite data center. In return, the lessee would provide in-kind consideration in the form of energy generation to the Navy that would allow NAS Lemoore to work toward meeting both Navy and Department of Defense energy resiliency objectives. The project would include EV charging stations, a battery storage facility or BESS, backup generation/microgrid and related infrastructure.

A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and other hardware. It serves as a centralized location for organizations to store, process, manage, and distribute large amounts of data. Data centers are

designed to provide a controlled environment with optimal conditions for the reliable operation of the computer systems. They have redundant power

supplies, cooling systems, and backup generators to ensure uninterrupted operation. They also employ various security measures, such as access controls, surveillance systems, and fire suppression systems, to protect the valuable data and equipment.

The data center would be connected to high-speed long haul fiber optic network for receiving and transmitting data. The facility would be primarily powered by on-site solar and battery storage for most of the year and would be connected to grid power for periods of low solar energy production.

The data center would be secured by fences and gates and only accessible by authorized personnel or deliveries. Vehicles onsite would include employee

vehicles, delivery trucks and service vehicles. During operations, the project site would have 20 employees, with staffing seven days per week, 24 hours per day.

A key factor that contributes to the rapid expansion of data center construction in the U.S. is digital transformation. As more businesses undergo digital transformations, the need for robust IT infrastructure to support cloud computing, big data analytics, and online services has skyrocketed, says one analysis.

Federal incentives have promoted investments. There are no data centers in Kings or Tulare counties.

Approximate Construction Timeline

Construction of the overall project would be expected to begin in 2024, says the document, with data center operations most likely commencing in 2025. The project can be constructed in single or multiple phases that are determined by the data center customer. Data center development typically can include up to five phases of approximately 20-25 MW increments that may extend construction time through 2027.

History of lease

The document is a Supplemental Assessment because the 2016 environmental study led to a lease of lands around the base that is still in place. NAS Lemoore encompasses 18,784 acres of Navy-owned land.

On Oct. 12, 2016, approximately 930 acres (i.e., Project Site) were leased to Liberty CO LLC for a term of 37 years (expiring Oct. 31, 2053). The existing lease with Liberty CO LLC was then transferred to Bright Canyon Energy on Feb. 14, 2019. In January 2024, Bright Canyon was acquired by Ameresco, and thus, as of 2024, Ameresco is now the current lessee of the undeveloped land.

Under the Navy’s 2024 Proposed Action, the existing lease would be modified to allow the lessee to construct and operate additional resilient energy systems within the leased 930-acre Project Site.

The existing lease allows the lessee to construct and operate up to a 125 MW solar PV system and associated infrastructure. The changes proposed as part of the 2024 Proposed Action would include the construction and operation of an additional 300 MW of solar PV systems (for a total of up to 425 MW) and an option to construct a data center, EV charging stations, BESS, backup generation/microgrid, and related infrastructure.

Ameresco, Inc. completed the acquisition of Clean Energy Asset from Bright Canyon Energy for $76.8 million, says their website.

Ameresco develops, owns and operates renewable-energy projects across the United States, Canada and Europe. In California, its projects include battery storage installations, including a $1.2 billion, 537.5-MW project that was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns and resulted in the company declaring a force majeure in April 2022. Ameresco was contracted to construct the battery storage systems for SCE at the utility’s substations in Ventura and the Los Angeles area.

The environmental document says once construction starts, it will employ about 400 construction workers.

A final SEA is expected before work begins.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/business/energy/nas-lemoore-plans-lease-of-425-mw-solar-farm-and-construction-of-data-center-john/article_daaafe54-90af-11ef-a013-3f506e5c207b.html

By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

H2B2 and 2G Energy Receive 2024 CHP Project of the Year Award for SoHyCal’s Renewable Hydrogen Impact

H2B2 USA LLC, a leading vertically integrated hydrogen solutions company, and 2G Energy, Inc., a global CHP solution provider, are elated to announce that their collaborative SoHyCal project has been distinguished with the highly coveted 2024 CHP Project of the Year Award by the Combined Heat and Power Alliance. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 25th at the National Summit on CHP held at the Westin in Alexandria, Virginia.

The SoHyCal project, managed by H2B2, represents a significant step forward in the quest for sustainable energy solutions in California. By producing renewable hydrogen through electrolysis powered entirely by renewable energy, SoHyCal is paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future. A key partner in this project is 2G Energy, whose state-of-the-art biogas engine plays a critical role in powering the hydrogen production process.

Pedro Pajares, CEO of H2B2, emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving the project’s success: “Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams. The SoHyCal project is more than just a technological achievement—it is a symbol of the progress we are making towards a sustainable future. We are proud to lead this effort and to have such a committed partner in 2G Energy.”

2G Energy’s cutting-edge biogas technology not only provides the necessary energy for the electrolysis process but also ensures that the entire operation remains carbon-neutral, a vital component in California’s broader climate goals. “Our partnership with H2B2 has allowed us to showcase the potential of biogas in large-scale renewable energy projects,” said 2G Energy, Inc.’s Managing Director Darren Jamison. “We are honored to receive this award and are committed to continuing our work in advancing renewable hydrogen solutions.”

This award recognizes the SoHyCal project as a pioneering effort in hydrogen production, showcasing the successful integration of H2B2 and 2G Energy’s innovative technologies, which not only meet current clean hydrogen demands but also set a foundation for future expansions to support California’s climate goals and inspire similar global initiatives.

About H2B2 USA LLC:

H2B2 USA LLC is a pioneering California-based company, at the forefront of renewable energy innovation with their groundbreaking renewable hydrogen production and integrated solutions to its customers across the whole hydrogen value chain and covering all business scales. H2B2’s customer-centric, one-stop-shop offering enables seamless and effective support through the entire lifecycle of a hydrogen production facility (including the identification of the opportunity, R&D, design, permitting, construction, and operation services for the exploitation of the hydrogen facility), and complete solutions for transportation, storage, and sale of renewable hydrogen.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h2b2-2g-energy-receive-2024-190000992.html?guccounter=2&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC8J8KfKVncBplFU0XXTDw7XLij7Jg-PWMZFRdq1cOv1kN0gU3-ooShtbixIXa1gQZ2L0HFZSCC4E3qr1q5kKMKlyYGFcPjER_ddyTK0ck0XQwzM3nQ2x-HV_cXWKo_KSzx1DlvLYtCbt6bVBMuxMGWRfMNvQWkoVUPGC5fEyI2o

By Faughn Energy • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

New battery installation comes online in eastern Kern

Clearway Energy Group’s 147-megawatt Rosamond Central Battery Energy Storage System is the company’s first battery retrofit project, made up of lithium-ion batteries delivering power for four hours nightly to support the reliability of California’s power grid.

The project, located adjacent to Clearway’s 192-megawatt Rosamond Central solar array, brings the company’s battery storage portfolio to more than 850 megawatts.

Energy storage at the site is contracted to Rosemead-based utility Southern California Edison under a long-term power agreement. It and Clearway have partnered on projects accounting for more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable power, including the Alta Wind Energy Center at the Tehachapi Pass.

Clearway reported Rosamond Central BESS is among the first battery energy storage projects financed under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’s energy community bonus incentive. The measure offers a credit of up to 2.75 cents per kilowatt-hour for renewably produced power projects built by workers, including qualified apprentices, are paid prevailing wages.

The company said more than 50 union workers led by San Jose-based electrical contractor Rosendin, built the installation over 115,000 man-hours of injury-free labor. The batteries were supplied Finnish Wärtsilä.

“Battery storage projects like Rosamond Central BESS play an essential role in deliverying on California’s Resource Adequacy program to keep the lights on for homes and businesses acros sthe state during peak hours,” Senior Vice President of Operators Valerie Wooley of Clearway said in a news release.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/new-battery-installation-comes-online-in-eastern-kern/article_2ecbdf72-4b72-11ef-b656-9fd614a7e911.html

By Faughn Economy • Energy • New Developments 0 Comments

Hydrogen projects sprout in the Valley

Plans for using hydrogen to fight climate change are sprouting all over the San Joaquin Valley this summer. Projects are in the works in western Fresno County, in Pixley in Tulare County and in Orange Cove where SoCal Gas will blend 5% hydrogen with natural gas for retail customers reducing overall greenhouse gases.

When hydrogen is injected into a fuel cell, hydrogen generates electricity but emits only heat and harmless water vapor and has great potential to cut global carbon emissions and keep toxic pollutants out. Experts say hydrogen could make the biggest difference in sectors now mostly powered by fossil fuels — trucking, shipping and aviation.

In the westside of the Valley, the Darden Clean Energy Project would cover 9,500 acres owned by Westland Water District and include a trifecta of green technologies including a 3.1 million solar panel farm, a 1,150MW green hydrogen plant and a 4600MWE hour battery storage plant.

An electrolyzer water treatment plant would be powered by solar power capable of producing 220 tons of gaseous hydrogen per day that could be used as zero carbon transportation fuel. To bring electricity to the grid the sprawling energy farm would be connected to a 15 mile transmission line to a PG&E substation near Highway 5.

Instead of seeking approval through Fresno County, the massive project is going direct to the California Energy Commission (CEC) for final permitting under a new provision approved by the legislature in 2022 called opt-in, the first in the state to do so.

Largest in the world

The Darden Clean Energy Project, which more than rivals the largest solar battery storage combination in the world, is located in Kern County at Edwards Air Force Base and is said to be about 4,000 acres. It houses 1.9 million solar panels and generates 3287MWh for the battery storage facility. The Kern County project also does not include a hydrogen manufacturing component.

In terms of the hydrogen plant at the Darden site, the capacity at 220 tons of hydrogen a day compares to just three tons a day at the largest existing hydrogen production plant on 324 acres also in Fresno County that started up last year led by a Spanish firm.

The CEC must find that Darden has submitted a complete application and then has 270 days to approve the project, which is considered a fast-track process in order to get more battery storage in California online sooner.

Hydrogen’s flexibility as a fuel source including for transportation, industrial, and power generation sectors and its ability to be stored is helped by new tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act. Producing only water as a byproduct hydrogen can be injected into the natural gas distribution system managed by utilities like SoCal Gas and PG&E. Add the synergy of combining solar power generation and hydrogen manufacturing – the process is given a big boost by the power from the sun typically on-site.

Lawsuit in Tulare County

In Pixley in Tulare County, another company is proposing to build a 1.2 million square-foot 28-acre hydrogen plant that will manufacture, store and distribute pressurized liquid hydrogen fuel for trucks and include 114 acres of solar power generation. The location of the $120 million plant is at the southwest corner of Avenue 120 and Road 120 near Highway 99.

Last summer the County of Tulare determined their project was allowed by right under the CEQA common sense exemption since the property was already located in a manufacturing zone. In March 2024 a citizen group with members from Pixley filed a lawsuit objecting that the county had not properly followed CEQA rules and should require a full impact report.

Oil company wants in

Also this spring, Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., announced it is developing a 5-megawatt hydrogen production project in Lost Hills.

The project aims to create lower carbon energy by utilizing solar power, land, and non-potable produced water from Chevron’s existing assets at the Lost Hills Oil Field in Kern County. This low carbon intensity electrolytic hydrogen will be produced through electrolysis, which is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

“Hydrogen can play a vital role in our journey toward a lower carbon future,” said Austin Knight, vice president for hydrogen at Chevron New Energies.

Blending hydrogen

Use of hydrogen will hit the retail market in Orange Cove says SoCalGas.

At the direction of the California Public Utilities Commission, SoCalGas is proposing a local demonstration project that could safely blend up to 5% clean, renewable hydrogen into the natural gas system serving approximately 10,000 residents, along with commercial customers in the City of Orange Cove, in Fresno County.

SoCalGas is proposing an 18-month demonstration project that will blend clean, renewable hydrogen serving residents and businesses. This project would offer a real-world environment to better understand how clean hydrogen and natural gas can be safely delivered to customers in the future. This is part of a broader effort by California and utilities to develop a standard for safe hydrogen blending, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, says the company.

 

https://hanfordsentinel.com/business/hydrogen-projects-sprout-in-the-valley-john-lindt/article_2bb4ee2f-d177-5e65-ae81-3c037848c76b.amp.html

By Faughn Economy • Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Valley To Receive $13 Million In Federal Funding for Electric School Bus Fleets

Millions in federal funding is coming to the Central Valley to purchase electric school buses.

Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced $13 million in federal funding to purchase new electric for school districts across the Central Valley.

Fresno Unified and Selma Unified will receive a combined $8 million in federal funding. The funding comes through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Costa voted to pass through Congress.

“Fleets of clean electric school buses are coming to the San Joaquin Valley thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These investments will improve the air we breathe and save money for our school districts while building a more sustainable future for our children,” said Representative Jim Costa.

Borne out of the Biden’s Administration bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA Clean School Bus Program received an unprecedented $5 Billion to transform the country’s school bus fleet.

It funds clean electric buses that produce zero tailpipe emissions and propane and compressed natural gas buses, which produce lower tailpipe emission than their older diesel predecessors.

Fresno Unified will receive $6.625 million in rebate funding to purchase 25 electric school buses.

Selma Unified will receive $1.38 million in rebate to purchase four clean school buses.

Caruthers Unified will receive to $345,000 in rebate funding to purchase one clean school bus.

Los Banos Unified has been selected to receive $2.4 million in rebate funding to purchase seven clean school buses.

Sierra Unified in Fresno County will receive $800,000 in rebate funding to purchase four clean school buses.

Wasco Union Elementary in Kern County will receive $1.38 million in rebate funding to purchase four clean school buses.

Costa wasn’t the only congressman to announce millions coming to the Central Valley this week.

At a check presentation held at the Tranquility Library Branch, Congressman John Duarte presented a check of $5 million in funding to Fresno County for infrastructure improvements in Tranquility and Cantua Creek.

Fresno County’s Cantua Creek and El Porvenir Sidewalk Improvements Project will receive $2 million in funding.

The Tranquility Complete Streets Project will be receiving $3 million in federal community funding.

The projects include a variety of efforts to improve motorist and pedestrian safety, increase accessibility for disabled residents and to reduce chronic flooding.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/valley-to-receive-13-million-in-federal-funding-for-electric-school-bus-fleet/