Here’s What’s Driving the Next Century of Energy Leadership in the Central Valley

The Central Valley has a long tradition of being an innovative energy leader. Energy production and agricultural prowess have built the foundation for our leadership—both industries create jobs for a century and economic prosperity for the region. As California transitions away from traditional fuels and toward cleaner sources to reduce emissions, we are matching investments in renewables like solar and wind to remain the state’s energy producer.

We are proud that our region’s energy landscape is diverse and reliable, allowing us to attract clean energy investments and realize our vision of tremendous economic growth and significant benefits for our communities.

In Tehachapi, we host the nation’s largest wind farm, the Alta Wind Energy Center, which generates up to 1,550 megawatts—enough to power 1.1 million homes. In Lemoore, the nation’s largest solar project, the Westlands Solar Park, generates enough electricity for another 2.2 million homes. The state’s largest renewable natural gas (RNG) plant is also proposed for construction in McFarland, which will increase local biodiesel production and use, providing 230 million gallons of biofuel per year. We also welcome growing investment in carbon management projects in Kern County to further strengthen our position as an energy leader.

These projects and others across the Central Valley will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution by millions of tons, leading to better, cleaner air and improved health outcomes, especially for people living with asthma and respiratory conditions. Clean energy projects also mean good-paying jobs and growth for our economy. These projects strengthen our energy production in the state, building local energy reliability and energy independence and security across the country.

We are also on the cusp of leading the California hydrogen market. Hydrogen has the ability to replace diesel and natural gas without emissions. That means cleaner farm equipment and freight movement, which affects trucks leaving our region for seaports.

The federal government recently awarded California’s hydrogen hub, the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), $1.2 billion to develop and distribute clean, renewable hydrogen. ARCHES projects are dotted across the Valley and will create more than 220,000 good-paying jobs and clean energy job training for workers. In Orange Cove, city leaders are actively working with energy partners to demonstrate how hydrogen can blend with California’s existing natural gas systems to safely power homes and businesses. At the state’s direction, this demonstration project will demonstrate the growing demand for renewable energy like hydrogen and its impact on both the local economy and California’s energy goals.

We continue to lead the way in implementing innovative solutions that help us produce and deliver affordable, reliable energy to those who need it.

In this new moment, our energy industry must meet growing demand while reducing emissions and diversifying existing energy production. As Central Valley communities grow and our economy thrives, we must make these investments and key partnerships with our established partners. We are fortunate to work with our energy partners, including regulated utilities, who bring decades of institutional knowledge and experience in energy production and delivery to power our communities. These partners have the expertise and intense focus on safety necessary to continue reliable energy production.

We are not just participants in the energy revolution—we are leaders and stewards of a sustainable future. Successful implementation of these projects will depend on broad community engagement, aligned with political support and ongoing investment that focuses on Valley residents and local goals for cleaner air, renewed economic activity, and more good-paying jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with the state agencies and our energy partners who are leading these projects.

Even now, the California Legislature is taking steps to further unlock our clean energy economy, recognizing the need for greater investment in renewable energy, new infrastructure and technologies. We’ve made significant progress in renewable energy sources like solar and wind, but to meet the state’s net-zero emissions goals by 2045, the state will also need to match investments in clean, renewable hydrogen.

There is real commitment across the state to achieving these goals, and increasing hydrogen production and streamlining permitting for renewable energy projects will accelerate the state’s progress.

In the Central Valley, we are embracing this trend and should seize this opportunity to recognize the far-reaching benefits of new renewable energy projects that will contribute to a cleaner, more energy-efficient future.