[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":355},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Feastern-kern-residents-press-supervisors-to-oppose-ridgecrest-ai-centers":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":343,"dateModified":343,"description":344,"extension":13,"meta":345,"navigation":21,"path":346,"rawbody":347,"seo":348,"sitemap":349,"stem":350,"tags":351,"__hash__":354},"news\u002Fnews\u002Feastern-kern-residents-press-supervisors-to-oppose-ridgecrest-ai-centers.md","Eastern Kern residents press supervisors to oppose Ridgecrest AI centers",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":336},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,285,289,292,295,299,302,305,308,323,326,330],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"eastern-kern-residents-press-supervisors-to-oppose-ridgecrest-ai-centers",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Ridgecrest-area residents urged supervisors to oppose two proposed AI data centers near town.",[254,258,259],{},"The projects are proposed by R&L Capital, raising concerns about water and resource use.",[254,261,262],{},"Supervisors said they’re limited while the proposals are under review and cited due process.",[254,264,265],{},"No decision has been announced as residents push for stronger development standards.",[66,267,268],{},"Jennifer Slayton stepped to the mic and asked the Kern County Board of Supervisors to draw a line. She said two artificial intelligence data centers proposed near Ridgecrest could open the door to many more. And with them, real questions about water and growth for a part of the county that watches both closely.",[66,270,271],{},"That’s why it mattered in Bakersfield and up Highway 14. The rules the board sets now will shape how future data-center deals get handled across Kern County, not just outside Ridgecrest.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-residents-asked-for","What residents asked for",[66,277,278],{},"Several speakers from eastern Kern and neighboring Inyo County asked the supervisors to oppose or slow the projects and set clearer standards for big computing facilities. Slayton told the board, \"Our residents and community share the same concerns as those across the state and nation about the massive external impacts that this will have.\" She said the Ridgecrest proposals could set a precedent countywide.",[66,280,281],{},"Another resident brought it back to basics. The person said Mojave’s tap water is already hard to drink without extra treatment, and questioned adding large power and cooling demands. The point landed because it was plain.",[66,283,284],{},"A hot wind out of the desert pushed 96 degrees by midafternoon.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"who-is-proposing-the-sites","Who is proposing the sites",[66,290,291],{},"The two data centers were outlined by R&L Capital, according to residents who addressed the board. Public commenters didn’t get into square footage or megawatt counts, and R&L didn’t speak at the meeting. What they did stress was the cumulative effect if similar projects line up behind these first two.",[66,293,294],{},"Residents asked the county to write stronger design guidelines, minimum standards, and clearer expectations before any approvals. \"I’m really hoping that they focus on the fact that we need good design planning, good guidelines, and minimum standards,\" Slayton said.",[61,296,298],{"id":297},"what-supervisors-said","What supervisors said",[66,300,301],{},"Supervisors acknowledged the concerns but said they’re limited while the proposals remain under review. \"We want to preserve the due process and not get involved because of due process at this time,\" a board representative said.",[66,303,304],{},"One supervisor added that the county’s program committee is tracking the issue and its countywide implications, noting that Supervisor Flores is part of that group. The comments signaled awareness without making promises on a timeline or an up-or-down vote. No vote yet.",[66,306,307],{},"For now, residents say they’ll keep showing up and asking for standards the county can enforce before the next application lands. \"Really, our county planning department and Board of Supervisors need to be protecting our community while also being business friendly,\" Slayton said.",[66,309,310],{},[311,312,313,314,316,317,322],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,315,239],{}," team and developed by ",[318,319,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":320},[321],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[324,325],"hr",{},[61,327,329],{"id":328},"source","Source",[66,331,332],{},[318,333,334],{"href":334,"rel":335},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.turnto23.com\u002Fnews\u002Fin-your-neighborhood\u002Fbakersfield\u002Feastern-kern-county-residents-urge-supervisors-to-oppose-proposed-ai-data-center",[321],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":337},[338,339,340,341,342],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":287,"depth":11,"text":288},{"id":297,"depth":11,"text":298},{"id":328,"depth":11,"text":329},"2026-06-10","Residents from the Ridgecrest area asked the Kern County Board of Supervisors to oppose two proposed AI data centers, citing water and growth concerns.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Feastern-kern-residents-press-supervisors-to-oppose-ridgecrest-ai-centers","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: 2026-06-10\ndateModified: '2026-06-10'\ndescription: Residents from the Ridgecrest area asked the Kern County Board of Supervisors\n  to oppose two proposed AI data centers, citing water and growth concerns.\ntags:\n- bakersfield\n- policy\n- water\ntitle: Eastern Kern residents press supervisors to oppose Ridgecrest AI centers\n---\n\n# Eastern Kern residents press supervisors to oppose Ridgecrest AI centers\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Ridgecrest-area residents urged supervisors to oppose two proposed AI data centers near town.\n2. The projects are proposed by R&L Capital, raising concerns about water and resource use.\n3. Supervisors said they’re limited while the proposals are under review and cited due process.\n4. No decision has been announced as residents push for stronger development standards.\n\nJennifer Slayton stepped to the mic and asked the Kern County Board of Supervisors to draw a line. She said two artificial intelligence data centers proposed near Ridgecrest could open the door to many more. And with them, real questions about water and growth for a part of the county that watches both closely.\n\nThat’s why it mattered in Bakersfield and up Highway 14. The rules the board sets now will shape how future data-center deals get handled across Kern County, not just outside Ridgecrest.\n\n## What residents asked for\n\nSeveral speakers from eastern Kern and neighboring Inyo County asked the supervisors to oppose or slow the projects and set clearer standards for big computing facilities. Slayton told the board, \"Our residents and community share the same concerns as those across the state and nation about the massive external impacts that this will have.\" She said the Ridgecrest proposals could set a precedent countywide.\n\nAnother resident brought it back to basics. The person said Mojave’s tap water is already hard to drink without extra treatment, and questioned adding large power and cooling demands. The point landed because it was plain.\n\nA hot wind out of the desert pushed 96 degrees by midafternoon.\n\n## Who is proposing the sites\n\nThe two data centers were outlined by R&L Capital, according to residents who addressed the board. Public commenters didn’t get into square footage or megawatt counts, and R&L didn’t speak at the meeting. What they did stress was the cumulative effect if similar projects line up behind these first two.\n\nResidents asked the county to write stronger design guidelines, minimum standards, and clearer expectations before any approvals. \"I’m really hoping that they focus on the fact that we need good design planning, good guidelines, and minimum standards,\" Slayton said.\n\n## What supervisors said\n\nSupervisors acknowledged the concerns but said they’re limited while the proposals remain under review. \"We want to preserve the due process and not get involved because of due process at this time,\" a board representative said.\n\nOne supervisor added that the county’s program committee is tracking the issue and its countywide implications, noting that Supervisor Flores is part of that group. The comments signaled awareness without making promises on a timeline or an up-or-down vote. No vote yet.\n\nFor now, residents say they’ll keep showing up and asking for standards the county can enforce before the next application lands. \"Really, our county planning department and Board of Supervisors need to be protecting our community while also being business friendly,\" Slayton said.\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.turnto23.com\u002Fnews\u002Fin-your-neighborhood\u002Fbakersfield\u002Feastern-kern-county-residents-urge-supervisors-to-oppose-proposed-ai-data-center\n",{"title":237,"description":344},{"loc":346},"news\u002Feastern-kern-residents-press-supervisors-to-oppose-ridgecrest-ai-centers",[83,352,353],"policy","water","X_rE1GUva6cCiEAzRTST6wjpZWwLIjQpCFj3FdYkezs",1782158313253]