[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":363},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-pitches-data-center-deals-merced-madera-leaders-push-back":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":351,"dateModified":351,"description":352,"extension":13,"meta":353,"navigation":21,"path":354,"rawbody":355,"seo":356,"sitemap":357,"stem":358,"tags":359,"__hash__":362},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-pitches-data-center-deals-merced-madera-leaders-push-back.md","High-speed rail pitches data center deals. Merced, Madera leaders push back",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":343},[242,246,250,269,272,275,279,282,285,289,292,295,299,302,305,309,312,315,330,333,337],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"high-speed-rail-pitches-data-center-deals-merced-madera-leaders-push-back",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263,266],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"California High-Speed Rail is exploring leases of land, fiber and power to data centers along its corridor.",[254,258,259],{},"CEO Ian Choudri says hyperscalers are discussing Central Valley sites, including Kern County.",[254,261,262],{},"Madera and Merced officials warn of water use and grid strain from potential facilities.",[254,264,265],{},"A co-development deal is signed to monetize corridor assets, with an energy-focused deal expected soon.",[254,267,268],{},"The Merced–Bakersfield segment targets 2033 service; full SF–LA is eyed for about 2040 at $126 billion.",[66,270,271],{},"The line that stuck landed like a horn blast. \"Just build the train, dude.\" Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto said it after reading a state plan that floats using the high-speed rail corridor to attract data centers and sell them access to land, fiber and electricity.",[66,273,274],{},"For Central Valley readers, the proposal isn’t abstract. The first trains are slated to run between Merced and Bakersfield, and the authority says companies are already kicking tires in Kern County. That could mean new industrial neighbors near stations in Merced, Madera and Fresno, with real questions about water, power and land use.",[61,276,278],{"id":277},"what-changed-in-the-plan","What changed in the plan",[66,280,281],{},"On June 1, the California High-Speed Rail Authority approved a business plan that goes beyond tickets and stations. Facing a $126 billion price tag and past federal cuts, the agency says it must squeeze revenue from everything in the right-of-way. Officials outlined two tracks for private money: a signed co-development agreement to match corridor assets with paying customers, and a second deal, expected within months, aimed at monetizing energy infrastructure like solar, batteries and substations.",[66,283,284],{},"CEO Ian Choudri told the board the corridor will carry fiber connectivity and clean power. He added that large operators are in talks about Central Valley locations. The idea, in short, is to make the corridor pay.",[61,286,288],{"id":287},"valley-stakes-water-power-and-local-say","Valley stakes: water, power and local say",[66,290,291],{},"Madera Mayor Cecilia Gallegos said her city would reject data centers because of heavy water use. A Bakersfield spokesperson said the city hasn’t seen any proposal to lease land, but they’re watching. Not a water-hogging server farm.",[66,293,294],{},"Public commenters raised familiar worries: cooling and water demand, battery fire risks, noise, and whether tech infrastructure starts to eat into farm ground. Serratto said he’s wary of outside firms setting the terms. Land-use calls sit with local councils and the supervisors, he said, and they’ll expect straight answers about grid upgrades and who pays. A plastic water cup sweated on the dais.",[61,296,298],{"id":297},"what-the-rail-authority-says","What the rail authority says",[66,300,301],{},"Board chair Steve Kawa said the authority isn’t proposing to build or run data centers. The focus is the train. But the agency argues that lining up private buyers for corridor assets could help fund operations once trains roll. Choudri framed it as practical: if tech companies invest around the route, they might also become long-term partners for the rail line.",[66,303,304],{},"Valley officials hear the pitch, they want specifics. How much new load would hit the PG&E feeders that serve east Merced County. Whether closed-loop cooling is on the table in dry months. What tax base and jobs would look like next to an HSR station site on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced or along the Madera construction footprint.",[61,306,308],{"id":307},"timeline-and-money","Timeline and money",[66,310,311],{},"Project insiders hope these commercial deals help open Merced to Bakersfield by 2033, then push north to Gilroy, with a San Francisco–Los Angeles run roughly seven years later. That calendar would bring trains through the Valley first, so the debate over server farms won’t stay theoretical here for long.",[66,313,314],{},"Serratto listened, then cut to it. \"But really,\" he said, \"just build the train, dude.\"",[66,316,317],{},[318,319,320,321,323,324,329],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,322,239],{}," team and developed by ",[325,326,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":327},[328],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[331,332],"hr",{},[61,334,336],{"id":335},"source","Source",[66,338,339],{},[325,340,341],{"href":341,"rel":342},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sfchronicle.com\u002Fcalifornia\u002Farticle\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-data-center-22306025.php",[328],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":344},[345,346,347,348,349,350],{"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":307,"depth":11,"text":308},{"id":335,"depth":11,"text":336},"2026-06-20","California’s rail authority is courting data center revenue along the Merced–Bakersfield corridor, drawing water and grid concerns from Valley officials.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-pitches-data-center-deals-merced-madera-leaders-push-back","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: 2026-06-20\ndateModified: '2026-06-20'\ndescription: California’s rail authority is courting data center revenue along the\n  Merced–Bakersfield corridor, drawing water and grid concerns from Valley officials.\ntags:\n- policy\n- energy\n- merced\ntitle: High-speed rail pitches data center deals. Merced, Madera leaders push back\n---\n\n# High-speed rail pitches data center deals. Merced, Madera leaders push back\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. California High-Speed Rail is exploring leases of land, fiber and power to data centers along its corridor.\n2. CEO Ian Choudri says hyperscalers are discussing Central Valley sites, including Kern County.\n3. Madera and Merced officials warn of water use and grid strain from potential facilities.\n4. A co-development deal is signed to monetize corridor assets, with an energy-focused deal expected soon.\n5. The Merced–Bakersfield segment targets 2033 service; full SF–LA is eyed for about 2040 at $126 billion.\n\nThe line that stuck landed like a horn blast. \"Just build the train, dude.\" Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto said it after reading a state plan that floats using the high-speed rail corridor to attract data centers and sell them access to land, fiber and electricity.\n\nFor Central Valley readers, the proposal isn’t abstract. The first trains are slated to run between Merced and Bakersfield, and the authority says companies are already kicking tires in Kern County. That could mean new industrial neighbors near stations in Merced, Madera and Fresno, with real questions about water, power and land use.\n\n## What changed in the plan\n\nOn June 1, the California High-Speed Rail Authority approved a business plan that goes beyond tickets and stations. Facing a $126 billion price tag and past federal cuts, the agency says it must squeeze revenue from everything in the right-of-way. Officials outlined two tracks for private money: a signed co-development agreement to match corridor assets with paying customers, and a second deal, expected within months, aimed at monetizing energy infrastructure like solar, batteries and substations.\n\nCEO Ian Choudri told the board the corridor will carry fiber connectivity and clean power. He added that large operators are in talks about Central Valley locations. The idea, in short, is to make the corridor pay.\n\n## Valley stakes: water, power and local say\n\nMadera Mayor Cecilia Gallegos said her city would reject data centers because of heavy water use. A Bakersfield spokesperson said the city hasn’t seen any proposal to lease land, but they’re watching. Not a water-hogging server farm.\n\nPublic commenters raised familiar worries: cooling and water demand, battery fire risks, noise, and whether tech infrastructure starts to eat into farm ground. Serratto said he’s wary of outside firms setting the terms. Land-use calls sit with local councils and the supervisors, he said, and they’ll expect straight answers about grid upgrades and who pays. A plastic water cup sweated on the dais.\n\n## What the rail authority says\n\nBoard chair Steve Kawa said the authority isn’t proposing to build or run data centers. The focus is the train. But the agency argues that lining up private buyers for corridor assets could help fund operations once trains roll. Choudri framed it as practical: if tech companies invest around the route, they might also become long-term partners for the rail line.\n\nValley officials hear the pitch, they want specifics. How much new load would hit the PG&E feeders that serve east Merced County. Whether closed-loop cooling is on the table in dry months. What tax base and jobs would look like next to an HSR station site on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced or along the Madera construction footprint.\n\n## Timeline and money\n\nProject insiders hope these commercial deals help open Merced to Bakersfield by 2033, then push north to Gilroy, with a San Francisco–Los Angeles run roughly seven years later. That calendar would bring trains through the Valley first, so the debate over server farms won’t stay theoretical here for long.\n\nSerratto listened, then cut to it. \"But really,\" he said, \"just build the train, dude.\"\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.sfchronicle.com\u002Fcalifornia\u002Farticle\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-data-center-22306025.php\n",{"title":237,"description":352},{"loc":354},"news\u002Fhigh-speed-rail-pitches-data-center-deals-merced-madera-leaders-push-back",[360,361,152],"policy","energy","Dst9A83VeH3M2vz4d5M9yp4lOTvbUKq0lbIA6TzMB1I",1782158311880]