[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":360},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fmaha-activists-criticize-trump-s-coal-pitch-for-ai-centers-kern-site-plans-on-site-power":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":348,"dateModified":348,"description":349,"extension":13,"meta":350,"navigation":21,"path":351,"rawbody":352,"seo":353,"sitemap":354,"stem":355,"tags":356,"__hash__":359},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fmaha-activists-criticize-trump-s-coal-pitch-for-ai-centers-kern-site-plans-on-site-power.md","MAHA activists criticize Trump's coal pitch for AI centers; Kern site plans on-site power",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":340},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,306,309,312,327,330,334],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"maha-activists-criticize-trumps-coal-pitch-for-ai-centers-kern-site-plans-on-site-power",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"MAHA leaders sent an Aug. 21 letter urging Trump to stop promoting coal for AI data centers.",[254,258,259],{},"A proposed Elk Hills data center near Taft says it would use an on-site power plant.",[254,261,262],{},"Fresno officials say city code doesn’t define data centers, though developers have shown interest.",[254,264,265],{},"A March study found Fresno County’s solar curtailment could supply nearby data centers part-time.",[66,267,268],{},"A letter landed Friday telling President Donald Trump to stop talking up coal for the nation’s next wave of AI data centers. By line two the Valley was in the mix, with California Resources Corp.’s Chris Gould saying this week a Kern County proposal would lean on its own plant, not the grid.",[66,270,271],{},"Here’s why it matters in the Valley.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-maha-said","What MAHA said",[66,277,278],{},"Leaders tied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement argued the U.S. can lead on AI without more coal smoke. The letter, sent Aug. 21, names Zen Honeycutt and Charles Eisenstein among the signers and points to health harms from coal pollutants. It followed Trump officials’ public support for coal-fired power to meet fast-rising AI demand.",[66,280,281],{},"Kennedy, now serving as health secretary, has backed several MAHA-aligned policy moves since January. The group’s stance against coal for data centers is the latest split inside a coalition that otherwise overlaps with parts of Trump’s base.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-this-hits-home","Why this hits home",[66,287,288],{},"Just west of Taft, California Resources Corp. has floated the Golden Valley Technology Hub on roughly 100 acres at Elk Hills. Gould told a local station the concept includes a 400,000‑square‑foot hall and would rely on an underused on-site plant for primary power, with closed-loop cooling to recycle water. The project still needs county reviews and approvals. It was 101 degrees in Taft on Saturday.",[66,290,291],{},"In Fresno, the Planning Commission advanced the Southeast Development Area this week, and the debate turned to jobs that could follow. Councilmember Miguel Arias said the city wants data centers, but planning staff clarified Fresno’s code doesn’t define them, which complicates siting. A Reuters report last year said developers were kicking the tires here. Interest is real, the rulebook isn’t.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"the-power-question","The power question",[66,297,298],{},"A March analysis from think tank Next 10 and University of Pennsylvania researchers says the PG&E “Fresno Zone” strands large amounts of midday solar because of grid congestion, especially along Path 15. They modeled a 20‑megawatt rural Fresno County data center using curtailed solar for about half the year, with lower build costs than Silicon Valley but a tougher first‑year leasing curve. It’s an argument for putting compute closer to where the sun already hits.",[66,300,301],{},"MAHA’s pitch against coal won’t decide what Kern or Fresno do next. But the letter puts a clean‑power test on a sector that local officials keep courting. And residents keep asking who pays for grid upgrades if big loads do connect.",[61,303,305],{"id":304},"what-local-officials-and-residents-said","What local officials and residents said",[66,307,308],{},"At the Fresno hearing, staff said new definitions or a code update would be needed before large facilities could file a clean application. That is a fixable problem, they said, though not overnight.",[66,310,311],{},"In Kern, supporters point to jobs and a private power plan. Critics worry about water and noise. \"It’s a tremendous opportunity for economic development in Kern County,\" Gould said. Taft resident Emmanuel Campos put it more simply: \"This is our opportunity.\"",[66,313,314],{},[315,316,317,318,320,321,326],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,319,239],{}," team and developed by ",[322,323,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":324},[325],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[328,329],"hr",{},[61,331,333],{"id":332},"source","Source",[66,335,336],{},[322,337,338],{"href":338,"rel":339},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Flife-health\u002Fhealth\u002Fap-maha-activists-criticize-trump-for-promoting-coal-to-power-energy-hungry-ai-data-centers\u002F",[325],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":341},[342,343,344,345,346,347],{"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":304,"depth":11,"text":305},{"id":332,"depth":11,"text":333},"2026-08-22","A national health group pressed Trump to drop coal for AI data centers. In Kern County, a proposed Elk Hills project says it would run on its own plant.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fmaha-activists-criticize-trump-s-coal-pitch-for-ai-centers-kern-site-plans-on-site-power","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-08-22'\ndateModified: '2026-08-22'\ndescription: A national health group pressed Trump to drop coal for AI data centers.\n  In Kern County, a proposed Elk Hills project says it would run on its own plant.\ntags:\n- bakersfield\n- energy\n- policy\ntitle: MAHA activists criticize Trump's coal pitch for AI centers; Kern site plans\n  on-site power\n---\n\n# MAHA activists criticize Trump's coal pitch for AI centers; Kern site plans on-site power\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. MAHA leaders sent an Aug. 21 letter urging Trump to stop promoting coal for AI data centers.\n2. A proposed Elk Hills data center near Taft says it would use an on-site power plant.\n3. Fresno officials say city code doesn’t define data centers, though developers have shown interest.\n4. A March study found Fresno County’s solar curtailment could supply nearby data centers part-time.\n\nA letter landed Friday telling President Donald Trump to stop talking up coal for the nation’s next wave of AI data centers. By line two the Valley was in the mix, with California Resources Corp.’s Chris Gould saying this week a Kern County proposal would lean on its own plant, not the grid.\n\nHere’s why it matters in the Valley.\n\n## What MAHA said\n\nLeaders tied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement argued the U.S. can lead on AI without more coal smoke. The letter, sent Aug. 21, names Zen Honeycutt and Charles Eisenstein among the signers and points to health harms from coal pollutants. It followed Trump officials’ public support for coal-fired power to meet fast-rising AI demand.\n\nKennedy, now serving as health secretary, has backed several MAHA-aligned policy moves since January. The group’s stance against coal for data centers is the latest split inside a coalition that otherwise overlaps with parts of Trump’s base.\n\n## Why this hits home\n\nJust west of Taft, California Resources Corp. has floated the Golden Valley Technology Hub on roughly 100 acres at Elk Hills. Gould told a local station the concept includes a 400,000‑square‑foot hall and would rely on an underused on-site plant for primary power, with closed-loop cooling to recycle water. The project still needs county reviews and approvals. It was 101 degrees in Taft on Saturday.\n\nIn Fresno, the Planning Commission advanced the Southeast Development Area this week, and the debate turned to jobs that could follow. Councilmember Miguel Arias said the city wants data centers, but planning staff clarified Fresno’s code doesn’t define them, which complicates siting. A Reuters report last year said developers were kicking the tires here. Interest is real, the rulebook isn’t.\n\n## The power question\n\nA March analysis from think tank Next 10 and University of Pennsylvania researchers says the PG&E “Fresno Zone” strands large amounts of midday solar because of grid congestion, especially along Path 15. They modeled a 20‑megawatt rural Fresno County data center using curtailed solar for about half the year, with lower build costs than Silicon Valley but a tougher first‑year leasing curve. It’s an argument for putting compute closer to where the sun already hits.\n\nMAHA’s pitch against coal won’t decide what Kern or Fresno do next. But the letter puts a clean‑power test on a sector that local officials keep courting. And residents keep asking who pays for grid upgrades if big loads do connect.\n\n## What local officials and residents said\n\nAt the Fresno hearing, staff said new definitions or a code update would be needed before large facilities could file a clean application. That is a fixable problem, they said, though not overnight.\n\nIn Kern, supporters point to jobs and a private power plan. Critics worry about water and noise. \"It’s a tremendous opportunity for economic development in Kern County,\" Gould said. Taft resident Emmanuel Campos put it more simply: \"This is our opportunity.\"\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.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Flife-health\u002Fhealth\u002Fap-maha-activists-criticize-trump-for-promoting-coal-to-power-energy-hungry-ai-data-centers\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":349},{"loc":351},"news\u002Fmaha-activists-criticize-trump-s-coal-pitch-for-ai-centers-kern-site-plans-on-site-power",[83,357,358],"energy","policy","79N_MlYkl--Mlb5NuF9g5KJMJYpW_L-NRNERlgHadRM",1787357838707]