By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Kern Economic Development hopes to increase retention

The Kern Economic Development Foundation is launching a new talent retention initiative, which will link the region’s businesses with students throughout Kern County. This year’s students will be recent graduates of the regional occupational center with disciplines ranging from culinary arts to robotics. Still KEDF is calling on local business owners in Kern to partner with them. “The project is only as good as the job listing we have. So, we have the flow of students right now but we need to work to tell the employers about this talent pool that’s available to step in the job since day one,” said Richard Chapman, Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation.

The Kern Economic Development Foundation’s goal is to link the region’s businesses with KHSD students through the Kern Intern Connection Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation. Richard Chapman is hoping not only increase retention of workers in Kern but to gain employers from a variety of disciplines. “The key for us is these internships. The students are going to have to be involved in what that company does, we want to make sure this experience is based on, if you’re a manufacturer, that you’re working in the facility, that you are not just filing papers.”

Chapman said these students already have hours of training but what they need is the opportunity to gain soft skills like showing up to work on time and working with a team. “We know that workforce development, the quality and availability, is by far the number one challenge. I mean, think about it, in our county we have a labor participation of 60% so that means 40% of people that are able to work for various reasons are not looking for a job.” He said this is where the Kern intern connection comes in. “It helps students connect the dots. They learn the skills in the classrooms and the labs but then they get to go out in a real world setting and it really turns the light on for them,” said Brian Miller, Principal of the Kern High Regional Occupational Programs.

Miller said he’s seen students start out not knowing what they want to do at all to finding an internship to getting a job and coming back to teach the next generation of students. “I am a true believer, that this is a very important part of education I see a lot of kids every year that just connect the dot.”Chapman said they are accepting applications from employers on a rolling basis.

https://www.turnto23.com/money/kern-economic-development-hopes-to-increase-retention?msclkid=71ebfca8d08911ec94c1a96c5b18e72c

By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

chevron launches carbon capture and storage project in san joaquin valley

Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its Chevron New Energies division, announced it is launching a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project aimed at reducing the carbon intensity of its operations in San Joaquin Valley, California. Chevron aims to reduce its carbon intensity – the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted per unit of energy produced – by installing CO2 post-combustion capture equipment, capturing the CO2 and then safely storing it thousands of feet underground. This CCS initiative would begin at Chevron’s Kern River Eastridge cogeneration plant in Kern County, California. “At Chevron, we believe the future of energy is lower carbon. Reducing the carbon intensity of the energy people rely on day-in and day-out is well-aligned with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement,” said Chris Powers, vice president of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) for Chevron New Energies. “We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate and progress this CCS initiative in San Joaquin Valley, a region where we have lived and worked for over a century.”

Chevron has applied to obtain a Conditional Use Permit with the Planning and Natural Resources Department of Kern County and will continue to work with appropriate regulators throughout the process. In addition to the Eastridge cogeneration project, Chevron is currently evaluating and deploying multiple carbon capture technology demonstrations to mature more efficient and cost-effective capture solutions, potentially enabling future projects, not only for Chevron, but for other industries. “As Chevron advances to a lower carbon future, we’re identifying ways to advance our operations as well, so we can continue to provide local jobs, support the local economy, and generate local government revenue that supports critical community services,” said Molly Laegeler, vice president, San Joaquin Valley (SJV), Chevron. “We are excited about this Chevron New Energies project and fostering continued collaboration with local regulators throughout this process, not only to position the region to benefit from these lower carbon solutions, but that we continue to protect people and the environment. We believe this project has the potential to benefit the region on many levels and that Kern County is an ideal location for carbon capture and storage.”

An August 2020 report by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that highlighted opportunities for California to become carbon neutral noted, “there are various options for geologic storage sites in the state, but we have identified the most promising first candidates in San Joaquin County and in Kern County,” due to the regions’ geologic and subsurface characteristics, as well as the existing oil and natural gas production.1 Chevron is also actively exploring additional opportunities to lower the carbon intensity of its SJV operations, including the blending of hydrogen with natural gas in combustion, and the potential use of other emerging lower carbon technologies, such as geothermal.

Project Support:
Kern Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Richard Chapman: “We have a long history of working with Chevron and have appreciated their significant involvement in our community and the role they have played in Kern County. We are excited to see their commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of their local operations and look forward to seeing the innovation and technology they plan to deploy. These efforts aim to ensure job security and workforce development opportunities and maintain the quality of life we enjoy here.”

State Building & Construction Trades Council of California President Andrew Meredith: “Energy transition efforts such as this project have the potential to create a significant number of good-paying jobs. There are also a number of skills in oil and gas jobs that are transferable to new energies, especially CCUS. We appreciate Chevron’s continued commitment to California and our workers.”

CA State Sen. Anna Caballero: “As we enter our hottest time of the year, we need to be sure we have enough energy to prevent brownouts and blackouts. This project is designed to serve a dual purpose: ensure we have electricity when we need it and help provide climate action for our Central Valley and California.”

https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2022/q2/chevron-launches-carbon-capture-and-storage-project-in-san-joaquin-valley

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Big rental complexes in Visalia, Central Valley mean big money for investors

Local residents have had epic battles at public meetings to stifle the development of apartment and rental homes in the last few years but they may not be able to hold them off much longer. The price of multifamily housing has dramatically increased since new construction slowed to a crawl before the pandemic, which snuffed out what was left. High-end rental complexes have caught the attention of Southern California investors looking to turn big profits on a tight housing market. On April 19, The Mogharebi Group (TMG) brokered the sale of ReNew, a 128-unit development in Visalia from FPA Multifamily to a Santa Barbara-based private investment firm for $30.65 million.

There are 1,055 multifamily properties of 50 units or more, a total of 123,000 rental units, scattered among 70 cities between Bakersfield and Sacramento, according to commercial real estate database Yardi Matrix. “The Central Valley has long been thought of as strictly an agricultural area, but that is only one part of its economic story,” said TMG Executive Vice President Otto Ozen. “Government and healthcare are large and growing economic drivers, which combined with the region’s lower cost of living has resulted in an in-migration of people from higher-cost coastal cities. Yet new construction has not kept up with demand.  The strong regional economy and steady population growth combined with the high barriers to entry, has not been lost on investors,” Ozen added.

Built in 2008, ReNew Visalia is a two-story, 128-unit apartment community located at 3315  Lovers Lane. The property comprises 16 residential buildings totaling 119,608 rentable square feet. The complex is situated on a 6.76-acre site, for a comfortable density of 18.9 units per acre. The apartment homes feature spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans with an average size of 934 square feet, respectively. The property boasts a swimming pool, recreation room with wet-bar, laundry facilities, clubhouse, spa, and reserved parking. “Not only did we help the seller find ReNew a few years ago, but after 24 months, we were able to sell it for 50% higher price, which is indicative of growing investor interest for properties in the Central Valley,” Ozen concluded. TMG also brokered the sale of a 240-unit apartment complex in Bakersfield for $22 million, a 109-unit complex in Tulare for $15.66 million and a 237-unit complex in Visalia for $42.5 million in 2020 alone.

In the last two years, 445 multifamily properties in the Central Valley have traded hands, 10% of those transactions brokered by TMG. Over that span, the average sales price per unit increased  21% from $111,275 to $135,444.  The greatest increases could be found in 4- and 5-star properties which increased 28% from $228,465 to $292,412. And there are plenty more in the permitting pipeline. Apartment permits in Visalia were up 30% in the first two months of 2022 alone. Permits in Tulare are estimated to skyrocket as they are often priced lower than similar sized homes in Visalia, and the same can be said of apartment complexes as well. Since its founding in 2015, TMG, one of the leading multifamily brokers in the State of California, according to real estate research and advisory firm Green Street, has been involved in the sale of more than 6,500 units in the Central Valley with sales exceeding $800 million.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/26/big-rental-complexes-in-visalia-central-valley-mean-big-money-for-investors/

By Faughn New Location 0 Comments

Ono Hawaiian BBQ says Aloha in Visalia

One of America’s fastest growing restaurant chains will celebrate its 100th location with the opening of its newest store in Visalia. Say “Aloha” to Ono Hawaiian BBQ. The Hawaiian-inspired fast-casual restaurant will celebrate the milestone at the grand opening of its Visalia store, 708 S. Mooney Blvd., all-day long on Friday, April 22. There will be an in-store luau for their customers to enjoy a taste of the Islands, including Hawaiian dancers showcasing and celebrating authentic Hawaiian culture and spirit. There will be deals and giveaways, including a buy one get one free offering both in-store and online. Ono Hawaiian BBQ will also be giving away 100th Store Memorabilia pins and scratchers at all locations while supplies last.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be opening our 100th Ono BBQ location and celebrating this milestone,” said Joshua Liang, Chief Executive Officer. “This achievement would not be possible without our loyal customers who’ve shown their love for our food and brand.” “Ono” means “delicious” in Hawaiian, and the restaurant has maintained its reputation for nearly two decades as the Hawaiian fast casual staple since being founded in 2002. The menu includes everything from mini meals to family-style servings. Every Ono Hawaiian BBQ dish is created with fresh ingredients using authentic Hawaiian recipes, and made-to-order in each restaurant. “Island Favorites” include chicken Katsu, Kalua pork, white fish, crispy shrimp and grilled spam and eggs.

The restaurant’s popularity continues to grow throughout California and Hawaii. The restaurant was recently ranked sixth in a Top 10 list of the fastest growing chains compiled last year by Technomic, a food service industry research firm. The ranking reported the Hawaiian barbecue restaurants had 2020 sales totalling $146 million. Ono opened its 98th location in Delano, Calif. In November.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/20/hawaiian-bbq-says-aloha-in-visalia/

By Faughn Education • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

Bitwise Industries opens in downtown Merced, offering ‘life-changing opportunities in tech’

Bitwise Industries, a Central Valley technology company geared toward giving low-income residents an opportunity to get a tech-based education, opened the doors of its downtown Merced business hub this week. Bitwise Industries, which was founded in 2013 in Fresno, offers workspace for its members and leases out office suites. It also offers workforce training classes and tech consulting for local businesses. The new business hub is located at 1635 M St., on the corner of M Street and Main Street. “Bitwise Industries goes into underestimated communities and we build tech ecosystems using our three-pronged approach, which includes real estate — having a place and space — it also includes workforce training programs and tech consulting services,” said Norma Cardona, who is the vice president of Bitwise Industries in Merced.

The 6,500-square-foot office houses a co-working space that features tables and desks available for members. It’s designed for budding entrepreneurs and startup companies like a solo Realtor, online marketer or micro business owner. “People can come in, they’ll have a desk, they’ll have a chair, they’ll also have access to 20 free black and white copies and access to a conference room,” Cardona said. Memberships cost $40 per month with a student rate at $25 per month. The working space is set up for 40 members, but is currently being limited to about 20 to 25 members due to COVID-19 protocols. The working space is always open.

There are three office suites that are all currently leased out. There are two classrooms that hold 25 to 40 people. There are also three Bitwise suites, a conference room and a phone booth for private conversations. Bitwise Industries offers workforce training in Merced. Along with the office space, Bitwise also offers workforce training. “We offer life-changing opportunities in tech careers,” Cardona said. “We do that by offering evening classes or, as we call it, pre-apprenticeship classes that are stepping stones into a one year, full-time paid apprenticeship program, where we pay people to learn careers in tech.” The pre-apprenticeship classes are two nights per week and last six weeks. The classes offered include website for beginners, mobile website for beginners and JavaScript for beginners.

Students from these classes have the opportunity to earn one-year, paid internships with Bitwise Industries. The classes are designed to give people from marginalized communities — which includes people who formerly were incarcerated, formerly homeless, women, people from working-class families, the LGBTQ+ community and people of color — the opportunity to learn skills that could lead to tech jobs. Right now the classes are only offered remotely due to the pandemic. For more information on the workforce training, visit the Bitwise Industries website. Bitwise Industries also offers tech consulting for area businesses, including smaller restaurants that lacked websites and nonprofits that struggled to attract donors, according to Bitwise vice president Katherine Verducci. “Our tech consulting really helps up-level all the businesses that are in the area,” Verducci said.

Bitwise aims to create tech economy in Merced. Bitwise has opened hubs in places like Fresno and Bakersfield. Merced has similar characteristics and became a desired destination for the company. “We saw that there was high unemployment or underemployment, we saw that there was a high poverty rate,” Cardona said. “Actually one of the great things that we saw was UC Merced and the investment into downtown. So all those things are things we considered and we said, ‘we want to go into Merced.'” “We want to create that tech economy that is going to ignite transformations throughout the community,” Cardona added. “So people who are left out of opportunities, people who are surviving, people who are underemployed can really take advantage of these opportunities and get into a place of really thriving.”

Originally officials were eyeing an opening date in early 2021, but the pandemic delayed the opening. Cardona says Bitwise is thrilled to finally open its doors in downtown Merced. “We are so excited that we have this here now,” Cardona said. “A lot of people have been talking about it, a lot of people have heard about it, but it’s not until you see it in person, it’s not until you’re here that you’re really able to capture it and feel what Bitwise is all about.”

https://app.meltwater.com/newsletters/analytics/view/5e8624bb4a32930012f3b64d/newsletter/61c4b6b1c1abab0013267cc9/distribution/62910ec742b67f00137a68d7/document/MERCED0020220527ei5r00002

By Faughn Education • Workforce 0 Comments

Rail Academy will train Valley youth for well-paying jobs on passenger, freight lines

Christian Sharma hopes to be among the first graduates of the Rail Academy of Central California, ready to work on a freight or passenger line. “I would mainly like to get behind the wheel of a locomotive,” the 18-year-old said at a May 25 open house in Stockton. “And help to maintain it, checking to see that it’s up to date.” The program will launch with about 70 students in August. They will take classes at a community college and get hands-on learning at the Stockton maintenance facility for the Altamont Corridor Express. The Rail Academy will provide up to two years of low-cost instruction for jobs starting at as much as $95,000 a year, the organizers said.

The alumni could help ACE and Amtrak carry out plans to grow well beyond their current passenger services. Or they could join a freight workforce that moves an already enormous volume of goods on the tracks. “In order for our expansion to be successful, we need the bodies to operate the trains, and to serve our public,” said Tamika Smith, director of rail services for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. That agency oversees ACE, which mainly serves commuters to Silicon Valley with four round trips each weekday. Amtrak has five round trips every day between Bakersfield and Oakland and a sixth branching north to Sacramento. AA Rail Academy 01.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.
Stanislaus students, others welcome. The educational partners are based in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties, but students from Stanislaus and beyond are welcome, Smith said.

The academy will begin with classes at Sacramento City College that prepare students to be engineers, conductors and passenger service agents. The planners hope at some point to add degrees in train and track maintenance at San Joaquin Delta College. The ACE facility hosted the open house and will be a key part of the academy going forward. It is about a mile and a half north of a station serving both ACE and Amtrak. The staff mainly services the commuter trains but is also preparing a new fleet of Amtrak coaches. The 157,000-square-foot site has several tracks for locomotives and passenger coaches, along with pits for working on their undersides. Two training rooms can hold up to 60 students.

Students will pay community college fees but can apply for financial aid. The academy aims to reach underrepresented communities and students not headed toward bachelor’s degrees, Smith said. It also will help the freight and passenger partners replace employees lost to retirement, she said. AA Rail Academy 05.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

Head start for high-schoolers. The academy will have a program introducing high school students to rail careers through an agreement with the Stockton Unified School District. They will tour the maintenance facility and talk with rail workers. Sharma came to the open house on the evening before his graduation from Edison High School. He said he already enjoyed researching rail history from the steam era on and hopes to be part of the future workforce. That history is one of the community college courses, including the decline of passenger rail after World War II. Other classes will instruct students on safe and efficient operation of today’s trains. An entire course is devoted to the air brakes that can bring a mile-long freight train to a standstill.

The academy partners include Herzog Transit Services, which runs ACE under contract and is based in St. Joseph, Missouri. Another is the Union Pacific Railroad, based in Omaha and carrying freight across much of the United States. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is not involved in the academy but is hiring, too, in the Central Valley and elsewhere. AA Rail Academy 04.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

Expanding toward high-speed rail. ACE and Amtrak are expanding with $900.5 million from state fuel taxes. Amtrak plans to add two trips on its northern branch by 2024, sharing stations with ACE in Lodi, Elk Grove and four Sacramento locations. ACE also will have a southern extension by 2024, with downtown stations in Manteca, Ripon, Modesto and Ceres. Service to Turlock, Livingston and Merced will follow in a few years. Future funding could bring hourly service at up to 130 mph, using tracks separate from freight trains and possibly a tunnel through the Altamont Pass. Valley residents would connect much more easily than they do now with BART and other systems.

The diesel locomotives would give way to renewable electricity under long-range plans for countering climate change. ACE and Amtrak also could connect in Merced with the first segment of California’s high-speed rail system. It would run at up to 220 mph to Bakersfield as soon as 2029 under current plans. The project continues to draw criticism due to cost overruns, construction delays and the high price of tunneling to Southern California and the Bay Area. The commission that oversees ACE is already negotiating to run the first leg of high-speed rail. It is chaired by Christina Fugazi, the vice mayor of Stockton. She also is vice principal at Edison High and invited some of the local students to the open house. “If we want to do more trains per day, we need more conductors, we need more engineers, we need more people to clean the trains, maintain the trains,” Fugazi said.

AA Rail Academy 02.JPGTechnicians Sebastian Eth, left, and Nick Fortune, right, demonstrate some of the work that is done at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility during an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility. AA Rail Academy 03.JPGAltamont Corridor Express maintenance facility in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. AA Rail Academy 06.jpgChristina Fugazi, chair of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission board, speaks to guests, with Edison High senior Christian Sharma, right, during an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

 

https://app.meltwater.com/newsletters/analytics/view/5e8624bb4a32930012f3b64d/newsletter/61c4b6b1c1abab0013267cc9/distribution/6298ebde5020fd001472c3d4/document/MBEE000020220601ei61000dx

By Faughn Education 0 Comments

Rail Academy of Central California to Launch This Fall

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission’s (SJRRC) ACE Rail Maintenance Facility will house the new Rail Academy of Central California (TRACC), which is seeking 70 students for instruction and hands-on-training. An open house was held earlier this month to generate interest and attract talent, according to SJRRC, the owner, operator and policy-making body for Altamont Corridor Express(ACE), which comprises an 86-mile corridor between Stockton and San Jose with 10 stations (see map below). Federal, state and local officials; railroad industry stakeholders; and prospective students and their families were in attendance.

TRACC’s aim is to address workforce shortages “by creating opportunities for meaningful careers for students and graduates that directly enhance the region’s economic growth and ensure both passenger and freight railroad reliability,” SJRRC reported on May 25. “Estimated starting salaries for graduates range from $35,000 to $95,000 per year.”

TRACC will draw students from San Joaquin County-area high schools, and will accept trainees over 18 years of age participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and Women, Infants and Children (WIC); as well as veterans and military spouses. Sacramento City College will provide the curriculum and two instructors. “We were honored to host the greater San Joaquin County community to raise awareness about this important workforce development program and generate interest from our community,” SJRRC Chair Christina Fugazi said. “We must do more to provide real economic and wealth generation opportunities for families in Stockton and the surrounding area.”

https://www.railwayage.com/news/rail-academy-of-central-california-to-launch-this-fall/
By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

California one step closer to establishing high-speed rail with Silicon Valley to Merced line

After years of anticipation and developments, the state is one step closer to establishing a high-speed rail connection between Northern and Southern California. This week, California High-Speed Rail Authority officials approved a 90-mile stretch set to run from San Jose to Merced. This section would begin at San Jose’s Diridon Station and connect to a Central Valley site currently under construction. This connection will cut travel time between the two regions from roughly three hours to one hour.  San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo says he sees the developments as good news for the local economy.  “Completion of this critically important high-speed rail project helps the state expand economic opportunity and affordable housing, two critical goals for all of us,” he said.

Monterey County resident Stefan Mora says he often travels up and down the state for work and believes the high speed rail is a good alternative for people who spend a lot of time behind the wheel.  “It’s a great way to travel,” he said. “You’ll save gas with the prices it’s at right now, and save plenty of time not dealing with traffic.” High-speed rail officials say this development helped achieve environmental clearance for nearly 400 miles of the project’s 500-mile Phase 1 alignment from San Francisco to the Los Angeles and Anaheim area. This includes a stretch from Merced to Palmdale, and Burbank to Los Angeles — a section cleared earlier this year.

The project is also set to “modernize and electrify” an existing rail corridor between San Jose and Gilroy, allowing for high speed rail and Caltrans services. This alignment includes more than 15 miles of tunnels through the Pacheco Pass in the Diablo Range. Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley is calling it “the next most significant transit hub” behind San Jose.  “Gilroy Transit Center is very much ready for this to happen,” Blankley said.   Salinas resident Christian Lopez says he hopes the high speed rail will make for a better traveling experience. “Maybe it can help take vehicles off the freeways and they can lessen how crowded it is at airports,” he said. Construction for the high-speed rail is ongoing along 119 miles in the Central Valley at 35 active job sites. “The authority is poised to make the vision of high-speed rail in the Bay Area a reality,” Authority CEO Brian Kelly said. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our federal, state and local partners to advance the project in Northern California.”

 

https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2022/04/29/california-closer-high-speed-rail-silicon-valley-to-merced-line-bullet-train-san-jose-sf-to-la-next/9578137002/

By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Local ag waste prized as fuel source, carbon for storage

To the lingering question of what to do with woody ag waste and other forms of Central Valley biomass, carbon scientists and investors agree on an answer: gasify it, sell some of the byproduct as fuel and bury the leftover carbon deep underground. Doing so would produce a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions while forestalling pollution from open burning and even preventing groundwater contamination if some of the waste involved is manure. What’s more, the whole process appears to be a moneymaker, thanks to a growing market for both hydrogen and carbon credits. At a symposium on carbon capture and storage Friday at Cal State Bakersfield, great hope was placed in the process, referred to during the inaugural meeting as BiCRS (pronounced “bikers”): bioenergy with carbon removal and storage. Two such projects have been proposed in Kern, but neither has taken more than early steps toward development. Expectations are that considerably more money will be invested as part of a wider push to capture and sequester carbon. Other means include removing it from smokestacks and pulling carbon dioxide straight out of the atmosphere.

Energy Program Chief Scientist Roger Aines at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory told Friday’s audience BiCRS is a “clear winner” in combined economics and environmental benefit, as long as the biomass used is low-moisture and the carbon is not allowed to return to the atmosphere. If done right, he said, BiCRS results in an overall decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Aines dismissed the idea of merely burying biomass, as is sometimes done in local almond orchards, because he said it continues to emit methane. He said a better option is injecting it deep underground to keep it there permanently. He noted the process works with everything from almond shells to forest waste. Biomass used to be a greater producer of energy in the Central Valley than it is now. Utilities contracting for cleaner power found that other renewable sources of electricity beat the cost of most biomass plants. Plus, environmental justice groups have targeted them as significant producers of particulate air pollution. Gasification works differently. It does not combust but super-heats waste feedstock to break it down into gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The process puts out much less air pollution.

If the process is used on manure, such as is produced in large quantities at local dairies, it avoids methane emissions and keeps nitrates out of local groundwater, which would reduce risks of cancer, fetal growth retardation and other negative health outcomes, Lawrence Livermore staff scientist Kim Mayfield noted at Friday’s symposium. Still, more research is needed to document the complete and complex carbon lifecycle of BiCRS, said Deputy Director Colin Murphy at the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy. He emphasized the concept has been greeted with some skepticism by California’s Spanish-speaking communities and others living in agricultural and industrial areas. His recommendation was for better engagement with such communities.

One project proposed in Kern would gasify local ag waste and turn it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The latter byproduct would be stored permanently in concrete or injected into a depleted or nearly depleted oil or gas reservoir. Southern California-based Mote says it has begun preparations on a $100 million facility outside Bakersfield that would capture 150,000 metric tons of CO2 yearly starting as soon as 2024. The startup expects to sell hydrogen for use by heavy-duty trucks in the Central Valley. It would also cash in on federal tax credits, revenue from sales of carbon credits and state incentives. Speaking at Friday’s symposium, Mote co-founder and CTO Josh Stolaroff said the project’s economics allow it to gather biomass across a wider radius than conventional biomass power plants. BiCRS is also a relatively large job creator per dollar of investment, he said.

The other BiCRS project that has been disclosed publicly in Kern would work differently. It would produce methane for injection into a local natural gas pipeline for use as transportation fuel. CO2 from the process would be injected underground, while the carbon-rich byproduct biochar could be used in different ways, such as a soil amendment or water filtration or odor-absorber. Frontline Bioenergy LLC, the Iowa-based technology company behind the proposal, wants to build the plant in McFarland and employ about 50 local residents. It has estimated the plant would gasify about 300,000 tons per year of nut shells and other local ag waste and produce the natural gas equivalent of 22 million gallons of gasoline, plus 125 tons per day of biochar.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/local-ag-waste-prized-as-fuel-source-carbon-for-storage/article_e292237e-c88c-11ec-a8ba-e372047a3983.html

By Faughn Education • Workforce 0 Comments

Bakersfield launches first-of-its-kind youth workforce program as part of state effort

For the first time ever, the city of Bakersfield will be offering internships and job opportunities tailored for local teenagers and college students in an attempt to spur interest in local government and address relatively high youth unemployment. Starting Friday, the city plans to release applications for summer internships, which will be available to local high school students. Other programs in its workforce development program include a yearlong college fellowship, an eight-week parks mobile team and another internship program based on the needs of the Kern Community Foundation and the Dream Resource Center. The city successfully applied for a roughly $5.4 million Californians For All Workforce Development grant, which will provide funds for the new positions. “The city’s No. 1 goal here is to get youth interested in public service and community service. We have a number of jobs here at the city of Bakersfield that are open, and it’s really an exciting time to work for the city of Bakersfield thanks to Measure N and many of the new initiatives that the city is starting,” said Anthony Valdez, assistant to the city manager. “We want to inspire this generation to be interested in public service.”

The Kern Community Foundation will manage the program for the city, and plans to expand from four to eight employees in order to handle the workload. The local nonprofit plans to target underserved areas and those who have had run-ins with the criminal justice system in its outreach. “We’re going to be giving these youngsters opportunities to look at maybe careers that they didn’t think about and things that are going to benefit the city in general,” said foundation President and CEO Aaron Falk. “I wish that in high school somebody had pulled me aside and said, ‘Did you know you can get an associate’s degree from BC and then get a six-figure job?’ I don’t think anybody is telling kids that.” The workforce development program comes at a time of high youth unemployment in Bakersfield. According to data provided by the city, teenagers aged 16 to 19 had a 25.6 percent unemployment rate in 2020, the most recent year for which data was available. Those aged 16 and over had a 7.6 percent unemployment rate in Bakersfield, compared to a statewide rate of 6.2 percent and a national rate of 5.4 percent. “The need is high to engage and employ youth and also get them excited about public and community service,” Valdez said. “We want youth to be inspired from Bakersfield to stay in Bakersfield and see themselves in careers and community and public service jobs that pay well, are stable and come with great benefits.”

The state’s 13 biggest cities were eligible to receive funding, but smaller cities and counties will also become involved in the project’s second phase. State leaders hope to tackle some of the most difficult issues facing California while providing youth with job opportunities and a career pathway to government service, in addition to at least a $15 per hour wage. Many of the new jobs across the state will focus on issues like climate change, homelessness and food insecurity. The $185 million program, paid for by federal coronavirus relief money, is expected to employ thousands of youth over the next several years. “We think what’s unique is that we are really focusing on a population that has either been excluded or doesn’t have these kinds of opportunities,” said Josh Fryday, California’s chief service officer, a position in the governor’s office. “We think that by focusing on that population and really making sure that we’re doing work that is focused on the community, that we’re doing something that is going to add value to everyone.”

The city hopes to hire 400 youth by 2026, when the program will have completed. “We have the opportunity to demonstrate that by investing in our young people, we can help them launch a meaningful and purposeful life, while also tackling our biggest issues,” Fryday said. “If we can do all of that together at the same time, I think we’re going to demonstrate a really important model for this work moving forward.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/bakersfield-launches-first-of-its-kind-youth-workforce-program-as-part-of-state-effort/article_e0bb1a3a-c1cd-11ec-a99c-ef5aed01e780.html