[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":352},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-county-pension-lifts-infrastructure-target-wary-of-ai-fueled-run-ups":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":340,"dateModified":340,"description":341,"extension":13,"meta":342,"navigation":21,"path":343,"rawbody":344,"seo":345,"sitemap":346,"stem":347,"tags":348,"__hash__":351},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-county-pension-lifts-infrastructure-target-wary-of-ai-fueled-run-ups.md","Fresno County pension lifts infrastructure target, wary of AI-fueled run-ups",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":333},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,320,323,327],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-county-pension-lifts-infrastructure-target-wary-of-ai-fueled-run-ups",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Fresno County’s $8.3B pension plans to raise its infrastructure allocation target.",[254,258,259],{},"The fund will favor mid-market, value-add, debt and secondaries managers.",[254,261,262],{},"Trustees approved $120M in infrastructure commitments for FY 2024-25 and $80M for FY 2025-26.",[254,264,265],{},"Recent commitments include $40M to ISQ Global Infrastructure Fund IV and $20M to a rail lending fund.",[66,267,268],{},"The county’s pension fund is turning up the dial on infrastructure. Fresno County Employees’ Retirement Association, advised by NEPC and led by Retirement Administrator Donald Kendig, plans to increase its infrastructure allocation target while staying cautious on AI-fueled pricing in digital assets, according to Infrastructure Investor.",[66,270,271],{},"It matters for 21,000 members and retirees whose checks depend on steady returns. The fund says it wants more exposure to core-plus projects and specialty credit, without getting swept into bidding wars for data centers or fiber linked to AI demand.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-fcera-plans-to-buy","What FCERA plans to buy",[66,277,278],{},"The trade outlet reported Thursday that FCERA will lean into mid-market strategies, value-add deals, infrastructure debt and secondaries. That lines up with where the board has already been shopping. In 2024-25, trustees signed off on a $120 million infrastructure pacing plan, followed by $80 million for 2025-26. In April, the fund closed a $40 million commitment to ISQ Global Infrastructure Fund IV and another $20 million to the Napier Park Rail Evergreen Fund, a transportation-focused lending vehicle.",[66,280,281],{},"The 2025 policy split real assets into a 7% real estate target and a 9% infrastructure and real assets target, with a 4% to 12% range for the infrastructure sleeve. A 2026 procurement document shows a combined 16% real assets target, reflecting how FCERA groups real estate and infrastructure across the portfolio.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-caution-on-ai","Why caution on AI",[66,287,288],{},"Officials don’t want to pay up for the AI story. The fund’s posture, as described in the report, is to keep discipline in parts of digital infrastructure that have seen hotter pricing as cloud and AI workloads expand. That means more secondaries and credit, where entry points can be negotiated, and manager selection matters. And it means a continued tilt to middle-market deals where competition is thinner.",[66,290,291],{},"FCERA’s infrastructure roster already includes secondaries and niche lending: Ares Secondaries Infrastructure Solutions III and HarbourVest’s Infrastructure Opportunities Fund III on the secondaries side, and EnTrust’s Blue Ocean maritime lending strategy, among others. The mix aims to build exposure without swinging at every pitch.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"what-this-means-for-county-workers","What this means for county workers",[66,297,298],{},"The fund’s value stood at $8.3 billion as of June 30, 2026. Moving more dollars into paid, real-asset cash flows is meant to steady results through rate cycles and equity swings, according to prior board materials. For Fresno County workers and retirees, the practical read is straightforward: more roads, rails, utilities and digital pipes in the mix, with an eye on price.",[66,300,301],{},"One more note. FCERA’s pacing calendar suggests the build continues into 2026, but staff has warned that missing a year’s target can be hard to catch later.",[66,303,304],{},"At the North Palm Avenue office, a jar of blue Bic pens sits by the sign-in sheet.",[66,306,307],{},[308,309,310,311,313,314,319],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,312,239],{}," team and developed by ",[315,316,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":317},[318],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[321,322],"hr",{},[61,324,326],{"id":325},"source","Source",[66,328,329],{},[315,330,331],{"href":331,"rel":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.infrastructureinvestor.com\u002Ffresno-county-pension-keen-to-avoid-ai-driven-exuberance-as-it-expands-infra-programme\u002F",[318],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":334},[335,336,337,338,339],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":325,"depth":11,"text":326},"2026-10-01","FCERA, an $8.3B system, plans more mid-market and debt deals while steering clear of AI-driven bidding frenzies, according to a new trade report.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-county-pension-lifts-infrastructure-target-wary-of-ai-fueled-run-ups","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-10-01'\ndateModified: '2026-10-01'\ndescription: FCERA, an $8.3B system, plans more mid-market and debt deals while steering\n  clear of AI-driven bidding frenzies, according to a new trade report.\ntags:\n- business\n- policy\n- fresno\ntitle: Fresno County pension lifts infrastructure target, wary of AI-fueled run-ups\n---\n\n# Fresno County pension lifts infrastructure target, wary of AI-fueled run-ups\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Fresno County’s $8.3B pension plans to raise its infrastructure allocation target.\n2. The fund will favor mid-market, value-add, debt and secondaries managers.\n3. Trustees approved $120M in infrastructure commitments for FY 2024-25 and $80M for FY 2025-26.\n4. Recent commitments include $40M to ISQ Global Infrastructure Fund IV and $20M to a rail lending fund.\n\nThe county’s pension fund is turning up the dial on infrastructure. Fresno County Employees’ Retirement Association, advised by NEPC and led by Retirement Administrator Donald Kendig, plans to increase its infrastructure allocation target while staying cautious on AI-fueled pricing in digital assets, according to Infrastructure Investor.\n\nIt matters for 21,000 members and retirees whose checks depend on steady returns. The fund says it wants more exposure to core-plus projects and specialty credit, without getting swept into bidding wars for data centers or fiber linked to AI demand.\n\n## What FCERA plans to buy\n\nThe trade outlet reported Thursday that FCERA will lean into mid-market strategies, value-add deals, infrastructure debt and secondaries. That lines up with where the board has already been shopping. In 2024-25, trustees signed off on a $120 million infrastructure pacing plan, followed by $80 million for 2025-26. In April, the fund closed a $40 million commitment to ISQ Global Infrastructure Fund IV and another $20 million to the Napier Park Rail Evergreen Fund, a transportation-focused lending vehicle.\n\nThe 2025 policy split real assets into a 7% real estate target and a 9% infrastructure and real assets target, with a 4% to 12% range for the infrastructure sleeve. A 2026 procurement document shows a combined 16% real assets target, reflecting how FCERA groups real estate and infrastructure across the portfolio.\n\n## Why caution on AI\n\nOfficials don’t want to pay up for the AI story. The fund’s posture, as described in the report, is to keep discipline in parts of digital infrastructure that have seen hotter pricing as cloud and AI workloads expand. That means more secondaries and credit, where entry points can be negotiated, and manager selection matters. And it means a continued tilt to middle-market deals where competition is thinner.\n\nFCERA’s infrastructure roster already includes secondaries and niche lending: Ares Secondaries Infrastructure Solutions III and HarbourVest’s Infrastructure Opportunities Fund III on the secondaries side, and EnTrust’s Blue Ocean maritime lending strategy, among others. The mix aims to build exposure without swinging at every pitch.\n\n## What this means for county workers\n\nThe fund’s value stood at $8.3 billion as of June 30, 2026. Moving more dollars into paid, real-asset cash flows is meant to steady results through rate cycles and equity swings, according to prior board materials. For Fresno County workers and retirees, the practical read is straightforward: more roads, rails, utilities and digital pipes in the mix, with an eye on price.\n\nOne more note. FCERA’s pacing calendar suggests the build continues into 2026, but staff has warned that missing a year’s target can be hard to catch later.\n\nAt the North Palm Avenue office, a jar of blue Bic pens sits by the sign-in sheet.\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.infrastructureinvestor.com\u002Ffresno-county-pension-keen-to-avoid-ai-driven-exuberance-as-it-expands-infra-programme\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":341},{"loc":343},"news\u002Ffresno-county-pension-lifts-infrastructure-target-wary-of-ai-fueled-run-ups",[349,350,121],"business","policy","zhdfdTHi595N_lpDNiJr3bEnTxRGaScnWQeCbqUB8Tk",1790857282501]