[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":353},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Freport-fresno-solar-surplus-could-power-ai-data-centers-ease-grid-jams":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":341,"dateModified":341,"description":342,"extension":13,"meta":343,"navigation":21,"path":344,"rawbody":345,"seo":346,"sitemap":347,"stem":348,"tags":349,"__hash__":352},"news\u002Fnews\u002Freport-fresno-solar-surplus-could-power-ai-data-centers-ease-grid-jams.md","Report: Fresno solar surplus could power AI data centers, ease grid jams",false,"Sam Patel",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":334},[242,246,250,266,270,273,276,279,283,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,321,324,328],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"report-fresno-solar-surplus-could-power-ai-data-centers-ease-grid-jams",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Next 10 says data centers sited near Fresno-area solar could absorb curtailed power.",[254,258,259],{},"Curtailment rose 23% from 2023 to 2024, enough to power 500,000 homes.",[254,261,262],{},"PG&E’s Fresno Zone sees the state’s highest curtailment; Path 15 could be congested 84% of 2039.",[254,264,265],{},"E&E ties the findings to Trump’s push for more data centers and lower power bills.",[61,267,269],{"id":268},"what-the-study-says","What the study says",[66,271,272],{},"Eighty-four percent. That’s how often by 2039 the Path 15 corridor through rural Fresno County could be congested, according to a study commissioned by Next 10. The report argues that building data centers in solar-rich rural zones, and pairing them with batteries, would soak up energy that California already produces but often can’t move to cities because of transmission bottlenecks.",[66,274,275],{},"Researchers led by University of Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Lee modeled a 20 megawatt data center in Fresno County and a version with a 10 MW battery. Their scenarios found that using curtailed solar, plus some demand flexibility, can beat fossil-heavy urban power on both cost and carbon. They also flag why this matters to ratepayers: CAISO pegs Bay Area high‑voltage upgrades alone at $700 million to $1.1 billion, costs that typically show up on bills.",[66,277,278],{},"Curtailment climbed 23% from 2023 to 2024, the report says, enough energy to run about 500,000 California homes for a year. Seventy percent of that waste traces back to congestion, not oversupply, which is why the authors recommend “curtailment compute zones” sited along known choke points.",[61,280,282],{"id":281},"why-this-lands-in-the-valley","Why this lands in the Valley",[66,284,285],{},"The PG&E “Fresno Zone” has the highest curtailment in the state, and Path 15 is projected to be constrained for more than 7,300 hours in 2039. In plain terms, solar farms west of Huron and across the Westlands area often can’t push midday power north or to the coast when the lines fill up, so output is dialed back. That’s stranded energy, sitting next to flat land, existing substations, and highway access that data center builders look for.",[66,287,288],{},"The national frame is political, but the on-the-ground math is local. E&E framed the study as a possible way to square President Donald Trump’s call for more AI data centers and lower electric bills with the reality of today’s grid. If companies build next to where the power is curtailed, they avoid long waits for new lines and reduce the need to run gas plants closer to cities. Fresno County would be one of those places.",[66,290,291],{},"(A half‑empty can of Diet Coke sweated on the newsroom desk.)",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"what-it-would-take","What it would take",[66,297,298],{},"The authors don’t pretend this is a flip-the-switch fix. They argue for siting near congestion points, adding batteries to shift workloads into the evening shoulder, and using “load flexibility,” a wonky way of saying some tasks can wait a few hours. They also point out that moving demand to rural corridors can be faster than building new high‑voltage lines, which can take years and come with billion‑dollar price tags.",[66,300,301],{},"For the Valley, that means local boards and planners would be asked to weigh land use, water and tax agreements if proposals show up along the Path 15 corridor. The Fresno Zone already has the curtailment and the interties. The question is whether companies chasing AI buildouts choose to follow the electrons.",[66,303,304],{},"“Curtailed solar energy represents a missed opportunity for California to put carbon‑free electricity to use,” Next 10’s Stephanie Leonard said. “By siting a data center close to the power line congestion, we can move energy demand closer to the source.”",[66,306,307],{},[308,309,310,311,314,315,320],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,312,313],{},"CVAI Newsdesk"," team and developed by ",[316,317,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":318},[319],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[322,323],"hr",{},[61,325,327],{"id":326},"source","Source",[66,329,330],{},[316,331,332],{"href":332,"rel":333},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.eenews.net\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-solar-power-could-aid-trumps-ai-agenda\u002F",[319],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":335},[336,337,338,339,340],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":268,"depth":11,"text":269},{"id":281,"depth":11,"text":282},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":326,"depth":11,"text":327},"2026-07-06","A new Next 10 study says the Fresno Zone’s stranded solar could run data centers, cutting curtailment and costly transmission fixes while aligning with Washington’s AI buildout goals.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Freport-fresno-solar-surplus-could-power-ai-data-centers-ease-grid-jams","---\nauthor: Sam Patel\ndate: 2026-07-06\ndateModified: '2026-07-06'\ndescription: A new Next 10 study says the Fresno Zone’s stranded solar could run data\n  centers, cutting curtailment and costly transmission fixes while aligning with Washington’s\n  AI buildout goals.\ntags:\n- fresno\n- energy\n- business\ntitle: 'Report: Fresno solar surplus could power AI data centers, ease grid jams'\n---\n\n# Report: Fresno solar surplus could power AI data centers, ease grid jams\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Next 10 says data centers sited near Fresno-area solar could absorb curtailed power.\n2. Curtailment rose 23% from 2023 to 2024, enough to power 500,000 homes.\n3. PG&E’s Fresno Zone sees the state’s highest curtailment; Path 15 could be congested 84% of 2039.\n4. E&E ties the findings to Trump’s push for more data centers and lower power bills.\n\n## What the study says\n\nEighty-four percent. That’s how often by 2039 the Path 15 corridor through rural Fresno County could be congested, according to a study commissioned by Next 10. The report argues that building data centers in solar-rich rural zones, and pairing them with batteries, would soak up energy that California already produces but often can’t move to cities because of transmission bottlenecks.\n\nResearchers led by University of Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Lee modeled a 20 megawatt data center in Fresno County and a version with a 10 MW battery. Their scenarios found that using curtailed solar, plus some demand flexibility, can beat fossil-heavy urban power on both cost and carbon. They also flag why this matters to ratepayers: CAISO pegs Bay Area high‑voltage upgrades alone at $700 million to $1.1 billion, costs that typically show up on bills.\n\nCurtailment climbed 23% from 2023 to 2024, the report says, enough energy to run about 500,000 California homes for a year. Seventy percent of that waste traces back to congestion, not oversupply, which is why the authors recommend “curtailment compute zones” sited along known choke points.\n\n## Why this lands in the Valley\n\nThe PG&E “Fresno Zone” has the highest curtailment in the state, and Path 15 is projected to be constrained for more than 7,300 hours in 2039. In plain terms, solar farms west of Huron and across the Westlands area often can’t push midday power north or to the coast when the lines fill up, so output is dialed back. That’s stranded energy, sitting next to flat land, existing substations, and highway access that data center builders look for.\n\nThe national frame is political, but the on-the-ground math is local. E&E framed the study as a possible way to square President Donald Trump’s call for more AI data centers and lower electric bills with the reality of today’s grid. If companies build next to where the power is curtailed, they avoid long waits for new lines and reduce the need to run gas plants closer to cities. Fresno County would be one of those places.\n\n(A half‑empty can of Diet Coke sweated on the newsroom desk.)\n\n## What it would take\n\nThe authors don’t pretend this is a flip-the-switch fix. They argue for siting near congestion points, adding batteries to shift workloads into the evening shoulder, and using “load flexibility,” a wonky way of saying some tasks can wait a few hours. They also point out that moving demand to rural corridors can be faster than building new high‑voltage lines, which can take years and come with billion‑dollar price tags.\n\nFor the Valley, that means local boards and planners would be asked to weigh land use, water and tax agreements if proposals show up along the Path 15 corridor. The Fresno Zone already has the curtailment and the interties. The question is whether companies chasing AI buildouts choose to follow the electrons.\n\n“Curtailed solar energy represents a missed opportunity for California to put carbon‑free electricity to use,” Next 10’s Stephanie Leonard said. “By siting a data center close to the power line congestion, we can move energy demand closer to the source.”\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.eenews.net\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-solar-power-could-aid-trumps-ai-agenda\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":342},{"loc":344},"news\u002Freport-fresno-solar-surplus-could-power-ai-data-centers-ease-grid-jams",[121,350,351],"energy","business","UrrQwzlZEPtSPsPxnm15TwdZAqdzoVmGk1MqMpX33k4",1783395172854]