AI data center proposed on 100 acres at Elk Hills west of Taft
CRC’s Golden Valley Technology Hub would bring a 400,000-square-foot data center to former oilfield land near Taft, with on-site power and recycled cooling water.
AI data center proposed on 100 acres at Elk Hills west of Taft
Key Takeaways
- California Resources Corporation proposed the Golden Valley Technology Hub near Elk Hills on 100 acres of former oilfield land.
- Plans call for a 400,000-square-foot data center plus a substation and office space.
- Developers say the project would draw from an existing on-site power plant instead of the grid.
- Cooling would run on a closed-loop system designed to recirculate water.
- The plan is still in the proposal stage and faces additional reviews and approvals.
The open land west of Taft could swing to servers. California Resources Corporation’s Chris Gould, the company’s chief sustainability officer, said the Golden Valley Technology Hub would turn about 100 acres at Elk Hills into a facility built for artificial intelligence and cloud work. "It’s a tremendous opportunity for economic development in Kern County," he said.
It was 86 degrees in Taft on Sunday.
What is planned
Gould told 23ABC the concept covers roughly 400,000 square feet of buildings, including the main data hall, an electrical substation, office space, and parking. The site sits on former oilfield land near Elk Hills, about 20 miles west of Bakersfield. Still a proposal.
Power and water
Neighbors have asked about strain on Kern County’s grid and water supplies. CRC says the data center wouldn’t tap the grid for primary power, pointing instead to an on-site plant at Elk Hills the company calls underused. For cooling, developers say they’ll run a closed-loop system that recirculates water to cut consumption. The project’s website also names Beacon Data Centers as a partner and says developers will cover associated power infrastructure on site.
What residents said
Taft resident Emmanuel Campos said he walked in wary and left more open after community meetings. He pointed to other regions that landed similar projects, arguing Kern can do the same with its energy base and workforce. This remains a bet on private capital and county approvals, and he knows that, but he called it "our opportunity."
What we don’t know yet
CRC didn’t share a construction timeline or job count in the station’s report. Company officials say the project must clear more reviews and secure regulatory approvals before any dirt work starts. County staff haven’t posted a hearing date. Questions about transmission upgrades, fiber routes, and noise controls will follow if the application advances to the supervisors. A thin layer of dust usually sits on the Elk Hills access gates by late afternoon.
The site today is quiet. "It’s a tremendous opportunity," Gould said, "but there’s a process."
Central Valley AI is produced by the CVAI Newsdesk team and developed by Kaweah Tech, a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.