[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":358},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fcrc-pitches-west-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":346,"dateModified":346,"description":347,"extension":13,"meta":348,"navigation":21,"path":349,"rawbody":350,"seo":351,"sitemap":352,"stem":353,"tags":354,"__hash__":357},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fcrc-pitches-west-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling.md","CRC pitches West Kern data center with dedicated power, closed-loop cooling",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":339},[242,246,250,269,272,275,279,282,285,289,292,295,299,302,305,308,311,326,329,333],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"crc-pitches-west-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263,266],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"California Resources Corp. proposed a data center in western Kern County.",[254,258,259],{},"The plan includes a dedicated power source and closed-loop cooling to limit water use.",[254,261,262],{},"Kern County must review permits; the company didn’t share a build timeline or capacity.",[254,264,265],{},"CRC operates nearby Elk Hills power assets and recently began CO2 injection at Carbon TerraVault I.",[254,267,268],{},"The proposal lands as East Kern weighs the separate RB Inyokern data center project.",[66,270,271],{},"It hit 102 degrees in Bakersfield by midafternoon Monday. That’s when California Resources Corp. floated a new idea for West Kern: a data center that would plug into its own power and rely on closed-loop cooling, according to details provided to The Bakersfield Californian.",[66,273,274],{},"Why it matters for readers here is simple. Data centers are looking for power in the San Joaquin Valley, and CRC controls power and industrial land in western Kern. If this moves, it lands in Kern County’s queue alongside other digital projects and the oil-to-carbon work already underway.",[61,276,278],{"id":277},"what-crc-says-it-will-build","What CRC says it will build",[66,280,281],{},"CRC described a facility in western Kern that would not depend on the local distribution grid for day-to-day operations, using a dedicated power source instead. The company also promoted a closed-loop cooling design, which recirculates water within sealed systems rather than evaporating large volumes during hot spells. No square footage, megawatt figure, or cost was disclosed.",[66,283,284],{},"The oil and gas company has leaned into energy-adjacent ventures on the Westside. CRC runs power assets at Elk Hills about 20 miles west of Bakersfield and last month reported first CO2 injection at its Carbon TerraVault I project. That context helps explain why the company is pitching compute next to existing infrastructure.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"power-and-water","Power and water",[66,290,291],{},"Dedicated power is the headline here, and for good reason. Utilities across California have warned that AI-heavy data centers can strain local capacity if they connect like a big factory. CRC says this concept would ride on its own supply instead of crowding retail customers. The company didn’t say what fuel or interconnect setup it would use, or whether any part of the dedicated supply would be behind the meter.",[66,293,294],{},"Closed-loop cooling is the other flashpoint. In plain terms, the system is filled once and then recirculates, which cuts ongoing water draw compared with evaporative cooling towers. It doesn’t make water concerns disappear, but it changes the math. Kern residents have seen enough conflicting claims on this topic to ask for numbers.",[61,296,298],{"id":297},"county-steps-and-open-questions","County steps and open questions",[66,300,301],{},"Any build in unincorporated Kern needs county permits and environmental review. Planning staff will look at power plans, water sourcing, noise, and traffic, and the board will have to weigh it all in public. That’s the process whether it is sited near Taft, Buttonwillow, or another Westside location. Still no price tag.",[66,303,304],{},"This isn’t the only data center idea in the region. The RB Inyokern project in East Kern remains under state review with its own power and cooling plan. The two proposals aren’t linked, but they land in the same year, and they raise the same questions about how much power and water the Valley can spare for compute.",[66,306,307],{},"CRC’s spokesperson didn’t release a site map, a target megawatt load, or a construction date in the materials described to the paper. Those details will decide whether this is a campus for AI-scale racks or something smaller. For now, the company has planted a flag, and the county will ask for the rest.",[66,309,310],{},"Out on Taft Highway the pumpjacks still nod through the heat, patient as ever.",[66,312,313],{},[314,315,316,317,319,320,325],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,318,239],{}," team and developed by ",[321,322,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":323},[324],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[327,328],"hr",{},[61,330,332],{"id":331},"source","Source",[66,334,335],{},[321,336,337],{"href":337,"rel":338},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bakersfield.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcrc-proposes-w-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling\u002Farticle_5f2d14f7-8f86-4478-958d-513b8f9de1da.html",[324],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":340},[341,342,343,344,345],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":277,"depth":11,"text":278},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":297,"depth":11,"text":298},{"id":331,"depth":11,"text":332},"2026-06-17","California Resources Corp. says a proposed West Kern data center would run on a dedicated power source and use closed-loop cooling to limit water use, with county review still ahead.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fcrc-pitches-west-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: 2026-06-17\ndateModified: '2026-06-17'\ndescription: California Resources Corp. says a proposed West Kern data center would\n  run on a dedicated power source and use closed-loop cooling to limit water use,\n  with county review still ahead.\ntags:\n- bakersfield\n- business\n- energy\ntitle: CRC pitches West Kern data center with dedicated power, closed-loop cooling\n---\n\n# CRC pitches West Kern data center with dedicated power, closed-loop cooling\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. California Resources Corp. proposed a data center in western Kern County.\n2. The plan includes a dedicated power source and closed-loop cooling to limit water use.\n3. Kern County must review permits; the company didn’t share a build timeline or capacity.\n4. CRC operates nearby Elk Hills power assets and recently began CO2 injection at Carbon TerraVault I.\n5. The proposal lands as East Kern weighs the separate RB Inyokern data center project.\n\nIt hit 102 degrees in Bakersfield by midafternoon Monday. That’s when California Resources Corp. floated a new idea for West Kern: a data center that would plug into its own power and rely on closed-loop cooling, according to details provided to The Bakersfield Californian.\n\nWhy it matters for readers here is simple. Data centers are looking for power in the San Joaquin Valley, and CRC controls power and industrial land in western Kern. If this moves, it lands in Kern County’s queue alongside other digital projects and the oil-to-carbon work already underway.\n\n## What CRC says it will build\n\nCRC described a facility in western Kern that would not depend on the local distribution grid for day-to-day operations, using a dedicated power source instead. The company also promoted a closed-loop cooling design, which recirculates water within sealed systems rather than evaporating large volumes during hot spells. No square footage, megawatt figure, or cost was disclosed.\n\nThe oil and gas company has leaned into energy-adjacent ventures on the Westside. CRC runs power assets at Elk Hills about 20 miles west of Bakersfield and last month reported first CO2 injection at its Carbon TerraVault I project. That context helps explain why the company is pitching compute next to existing infrastructure.\n\n## Power and water\n\nDedicated power is the headline here, and for good reason. Utilities across California have warned that AI-heavy data centers can strain local capacity if they connect like a big factory. CRC says this concept would ride on its own supply instead of crowding retail customers. The company didn’t say what fuel or interconnect setup it would use, or whether any part of the dedicated supply would be behind the meter.\n\nClosed-loop cooling is the other flashpoint. In plain terms, the system is filled once and then recirculates, which cuts ongoing water draw compared with evaporative cooling towers. It doesn’t make water concerns disappear, but it changes the math. Kern residents have seen enough conflicting claims on this topic to ask for numbers.\n\n## County steps and open questions\n\nAny build in unincorporated Kern needs county permits and environmental review. Planning staff will look at power plans, water sourcing, noise, and traffic, and the board will have to weigh it all in public. That’s the process whether it is sited near Taft, Buttonwillow, or another Westside location. Still no price tag.\n\nThis isn’t the only data center idea in the region. The RB Inyokern project in East Kern remains under state review with its own power and cooling plan. The two proposals aren’t linked, but they land in the same year, and they raise the same questions about how much power and water the Valley can spare for compute.\n\nCRC’s spokesperson didn’t release a site map, a target megawatt load, or a construction date in the materials described to the paper. Those details will decide whether this is a campus for AI-scale racks or something smaller. For now, the company has planted a flag, and the county will ask for the rest.\n\nOut on Taft Highway the pumpjacks still nod through the heat, patient as ever.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.bakersfield.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcrc-proposes-w-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling\u002Farticle_5f2d14f7-8f86-4478-958d-513b8f9de1da.html\n",{"title":237,"description":347},{"loc":349},"news\u002Fcrc-pitches-west-kern-data-center-with-dedicated-power-closed-loop-cooling",[83,355,356],"business","energy","UUPO-MqdbDD4FYB5IWVnarRf3V1UzPZVBDhErCbQlXg",1782158313156]