‘Let’s Get Digging:’ Madera County Food Bank breaks ground on new facility
For something that has been a long time coming, it has finally come true for Madera County Food Bank Executive Director Ryan McWherter.
McWherter and his staff officially broke ground on its new 21,800-square-foot facility during a ceremony Friday that was attended by many Madera dignitaries.
“I look at the crowd, and for a person that talks a lot, I’m kind of speechless,” McWherter said during the ceremony. “I’ve been to groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, I’ve never seen this many people. It speaks to the need and the amount of sacrifice and hard work this food bank has put in. It’s not just the director. It does take a village. My staff is so awesome. We’re family.”
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.
Another truck stop pulling into Tipton
A new truck stop will be pulling into Tipton soon.
Mike Washam, head of economic development for Tulare County, said plans for a TA Truck Stop have been filed to locate at Avenue 120 and Road 124 on the eastside of Highway 99 near Tipton. Avenue 120 is at the north end of Tipton, just a few miles south of Tulare. It is also the location of the California Dairies plant where the company manufactures milk powder, bulk butter, nutritional powders and processed fluids.
“They are doing civil works now” to locate the multi pump station with a convenience store, showers and a restaurant, Washam said. The site was formerly an old cotton gin.
The TA chain is owned by TravelCenters of America LLC, the largest publicly traded full-service truck stop and travel center company in the United States. The company operates full-service centers, convenience stores, and restaurants under the TravelCenters of America, TA, Petro Stopping Centers, TA Express, and GOASIS brands. TA has Highway 99 locations near Bakersfield and in Madera.
TravelCenters of America is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, operates in 44 U.S. states, and employs nearly 20,000 people, as of 2021. Stations are typically large at 10,000 square feet. In terms of the number of pumps, there will be 20 pumps for gasoline and 20 pumps for diesel if it is anything like TA’s truck stop in Buttonwillow, Calif.
In May 2023, British owned oil company BP Products North America Inc., a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of BP plc acquired the TravelCenters of America. TA plans to open 20 new locations this year, as well as add 1,600 new truck parking spaces, add Pulse EV charging stations at select sites, enhance store layouts, and upgrade mobile maintenance and emergency roadside assistance vehicles to better serve its fleet customers and professional drivers. TA opened is 300th location in Walton, Kentucky in February.
The new Highway 99 truck stop will compete directly with two major players including Loves and Flying J, both in Tulare as well as the new Mavericks station under construction on Cartmill Avenue, a Valero gas station on Caldwell Avenue as well as several others in Goshen. There’s also a new truck stop south of this site as well near Earlimart called Akal Travel Center.
Ethan Conrad Properties acquires the Merced Mall
Hey Merced, let’s warmly welcome Ethan Conrad Properties!
Ethan Conrad Properties acquires the Merced Mall. The mall, strategically positioned at the best retail location in Merced, will be renamed Marketplace at Merced. ECP has already received significant interest from over 300,000 SF of anchor tenants. The renovation project calls for 2 additional pads along W. Olive Avenue. More good things are ahead for Merced.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=845800827584142&set=a.216633650500866
Refresco acquires VBC Bottling Company, beverage manufacturer in Modesto, California.
On April 2, Refresco completed the acquisition of the VBC Bottling Company, a family-owned contract manufacturer of premium beverages, strategically located in Modesto, California. This acquisition is a step forward towards Refresco’ s vision of ‘our drinks on every table.’ A key component of our strategy is to identify the right opportunities for acquisitions. This acquisition aligns well with our strategy as it provides strategic growth, key manufacturing capacity and enables Refresco to expand geographically. In addition, this investment provides us with capacity for strategic categories so we can support their fast growth.
CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs, commented:
“Acquiring VBC is another step in executing our proven Buy & Build strategy. The company’s strong customer base strategically located facility, and warehousing capacity further strengthens our footprint in North America. Additional canning capacity along the West Coast improves our ability to service all our contract manufacturing customers.”
Brad Goist, Chief Operating Officer at Refresco North America, said:
“This acquisition is a step forward towards Refresco’s vision of ‘Our drinks on every table.’ We will integrate VBC Bottling Company into our operations to better serve our customers and support their growth goals in the various categories where capacity is needed. I look forward to welcoming the more than 180 employees to the Refresco team and seeing what successes we accomplish together as a team and in the years to come.”
We are all excited about this great addition to our operations and give our new colleagues a warm welcome to the team!
At 3.8M Square Feet, Visalia’s Largest Industrial Development Unveils EIR
Atlanta-based Seefried Industries has submitted an environmental impact report (EIR) to the City of Visalia for a 284-acre industrial park at the northwest corner of Shirk Street and Riggin Avenue. The big project would require annexation into city limits to move forward. It would expand the Visalia Industrial Park to the north.
Called the Shirk and Riggin Industrial Project, the development would be the largest in City of Visalia history with plans to build 3.82 million square feet of industrial buildings with more than 4000 workers once all phases are constructed. The site plan shows 3,750 parking places for all types of vehicles.
The applicant plans eight industrial buildings for warehouse, distribution and light manufacturing; six flex industrial buildings; two drive-through restaurants; a convenience store; a recreational vehicle and self-storage facility; gas station and car wash.
The footprint shows multiple phases of large industrial buildings, with the corner of Shirk Street and Riggin Avenue having several retail uses located across the street from a proposed Costco shopping center.
The EIR says the project would offer four access points along Shirk Street, five access points along Riggin Avenue and five along Kelsey Street. Onsite orchards would need to be removed, and appropriate landscaping and lighting would be incorporated into the overall site design consistent with applicable city requirements and guidelines.
The project’s draft EIR was filed Thursday with a comment period ending May 28. As is typical, a final EIR would be released, and consideration by the city council after that before the project is submitted to the Tulare County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for annexation.
Founded in 1984 by Ferdinand Seefried, Seefried Industrial Properties is a privately held real estate firm that focuses on the development, leasing and management of industrial properties across the U.S. The firm primarily focuses on development in core industrial markets and build-to-suits with tenants in core and second-tier markets. Seefried leases and manages approximately 25 million square feet for its institutional and European clients and has developed more than 200 million square feet of space valued in excess of $18 billion across 30-plus markets. Based in Atlanta, the firm has regional offices in Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
New $30M investment
In Visalia, Seefried built and leased the 1.2 million square-foot Ace Hardware distribution center on Plaza Drive — now in full operation. In related news, Ace Hardware is installing a $30 million conveyor system expected to automate deliveries from Visalia to all parts of California in a speedy manner. The end result is expected to be higher e-commerce sales from Visalia that could boost the city’s tax revenue.
Seefried also has plans for a second 500,000 square-foot spec warehouse nearby at Goshen Avenue and American Street. The company purchased the Shirk and Riggin property from the Ritchie family.
The company’s site plan for the new industrial park indicates two huge buildings on Kelsey would be first to be constructed, adding up to about 1.8 million square feet across from Amazon.
Seefried is pressing on with these massive plans despite the fact that the warehouse market has cooled in California and in Visalia.
California’s new steel facility in 50 years coming to Kern County
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — California’s first new steel production facility in 50 years is set to be built in Kern County. On Wednesday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved the $540 million project by Pacific Steel Group. Chevron fined millions by state agencies for oil spills in Kern County. The “zero process carbon emissions rebar mill” will be constructed near Mojave. The group also released an artist’s rendering of the project. The mega facility is expected to create around 400 full-time jobs and 515 construction jobs.
Ribbon cutting for McKinley interchange June 12, groundbreaking for 120 Bypass/99 work is July 17
Manteca — when Mayor Gary Singh and fellow council members along with other dignitaries cut the ribbon to open the McKinley Avenue interchange next month — will have done something no other California city of under 100,000 has done this century.
And that’s complete three major interchange projects, including two done with lion’s share of the cost being funded by the city.
It started with the replacement interchange at Lathrop Road and Highway 99 that was completed in 2012.
It included completing the transformation of the Union Road and 120 Bypass interchange in 2020 as the first diverging diamond interchange in California.
And it will be marked Wednesday, June 12, with the Mckinley ribbon cutting for what will be the fifth interchange along the 6-mile stretch of the 120 Bypass.
That’s three new or revamped interchanges opening within 12 years at a cost in excess of $85 million.
And the city is just getting started.
On Monday, July 17, the groundbreaking for the first of three phases involved in the $154 million Highway 99/120 Bypass/Austin Road interchanges will take place.
That will address two more interchanges, bringing the number to five.
Meanwhile, the city is in the process of funding preliminary work to repeat the diverging diamond redo at Union Road including the separate pedestrian crossing for the 120 Bypass at Airport Way and Main Street.
The first of the two projects to break ground is expected to be Airport Way.
Singh’s goal is to see the three additional projects completed within the next 10 years.
If that happens, the city will have had a role in seven major interchange projects in 22 years with an overall tab in excess of $300 million.
The first phase of the 120/99 work includes more than $8 million in city funding to allow the replacement overpass on Austin Road that would also bridge Moffat Boulevard and the railroad tracks to be widened to four lanes.
The balance of the first phase funding has already been lined up. Work includes adding a second transition lane from the eastbound 120 Bypass to southbound Highway 99.
When the first phase is completed in two years or so, the funding is expected to be in place to add a second transition lane from northbound Highway 99 to the westbound 120 Bypass.
The third phase will require Manteca to secure much of the funding.
It involves long expensive braided ramps to restore access to northbound Highway 99 from Austin and access to Austin Road from southbound Highway 99.
Because the Austin Road and 120 Bypass/Highway 99 interchanges are so close, access for traffic going to and from Austin Road from the 120 Bypass requires ramps to start for such movements far away from the interchange.
It is needed to avoid traffic slowdowns, congestion, and reduce the potential for accidents.
As an example, it will require the off-ramp for eastbound 120 Bypass traffic heading to Austin Road to start just past the Main Street on ramp.
The ramp will then need a separate bridge structure to cross Moffat and the railroad tracks. As it curves alongside the transition lanes to Highway 99, another ramp for northbound Highway 99 traffic seeking to exit at Austin Road will start at a point between the Yosemite Avenue and 120 Bypass interchanges on the Highway 99 corridor.
Those two ramps will braid somewhere between the 120 Bypass and 99 interchanges to allow access to both northbound and southbound Austin Road.
Given the ramps will open up a large swath of southeast Manteca to development, the city is pursuing a benefit district to fund the city’s share of the project.
The third phase will also include the widening of the Bypass from Highway 99 to Airport Way to six lanes with the potential for transition lanes between interchanges such as the one on either side of the Union Road interchange.
XB-1 Program Developments
Boom Supersonic completed the inaugural flight of XB-1, the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, at Mojave Air & Space Port. The flight occurred in the “same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,” according to the company’s founder and CEO, Blake Scholl. The flight testing will aid the development of Overture, a supersonic jet designed to transport passengers up to 1,300 mph at an altitude of 60,000 feet. For more information about today’s milestone achievement