California's energy future keeps pointing to Kern.
The latest 10-figure energy storage proposal in the county is a damlike "pumped hydro" project connected to the California Aqueduct that would store and release 3,500 gigawatt-hours of power per year on or near Tejon Ranch.
kAm%96C6VD ?@ >@?6J J6E 7@C :E @C 2 D:>:=2C AC@A@D2= E96 D2>6 {@D p?86=6D r@F?EJ 6?8:?66C:?8 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E 8C@FA 5:D4=@D65 :? s646>36C E92E H@F=5 36 =@42E65 ?6IE E@ xD236==2 {2<6] qFE E96 =2EE6C 92D 2EEC24E65 :?E6C6DE 7C@> @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD =2C86DE @:= AC@5F46CD[ E96 56G6=@A6CVD >2?28:?8 5:C64E@C D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%96 >2C<6E :D G6CJ 24E:G6 C:89E ?@H[Q ':4E@C #@;2D 2E (2=?FE\32D65 !C6>:F> t?6C8J w@=5:?8D {{r D2:5] Q%96C6 :D 2 =@E @7 DE@C286 24E:G:EJ :?G6DE>6?E 2?5 E96 @:= 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 G6CJ 24E:G6[ E@@[ 2?5 E96J 2C6 D6:K:?8 ?@H[ >@G:?8 :?E@ E9:D 6?6C8J EC2?D>:DD:@? 3FD:?6DD]Q w6 564=:?65 E@ :56?E:7J E96 @:= 4@>A2?J 9:D 7:C> :D E2=<:?8 H:E9 3FE ?@E65 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J :D :?E6C6DE65[ E@@]k^Am
kAmq@E9 @7 !C6>:F>VD AF>A65\DE@C286 AC@A@D2=D 2C6 6?82865 :? 2 7656C2= 2AA=:42E:@? AC@46DD E92E H:== DF44665 @?=J :7 E96J 42? D64FC6 3:8 :?G6DE>6?ED — AC@323=J 2 >:I @7 AF3=:4 2?5 AC:G2E6 >@?6J C6A2:5 :? E:>6 3J FE:=:EJ C2E6A2J6CD — 7@C E96 <:?5 @7 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 4C:E:42= E@ r2=:7@C?:2VD 288C6DD:G6 EC2?D:E:@? E@ C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J]k^Am
k9bmstux}x%t $&!!~#%k^9bm
kAm%96 %692492A: !F>A65 $E@C286 !C@;64E >256 AF3=:4 %F6D52J 42>6 2D 2 DFCAC:D6 E@ %6;@? #2?49 r@][ H9@D6 =2?5 :D AC@A@D65 7@C EH@ @7 E9C66 2=E6C?2E:G6D 6?G:D:@?65 e >:=6D 62DE @7 {6364Â 3J !C6>:F> 2?5 :ED 56D:8? 2C>[ !@H6C %649 t?8:?66CD x?4] %96 E9:C5 2=E6C?2E:G6 :D E@ 3F:=5 :E :? v@C>2?]k^Am
kAmQx?E6C6DE:?8[Q D2:5 2? 6>2:= uC:52J 7C@> q2CCJ +@6==6C[ G:46 AC6D:56?E 2?5 DA@<6D>2? 7@C E96 AF3=:4=J EC2565 28C:3FD:?6DD 2?5 C62= 6DE2E6 56G6=@A6C 32D65 :? {6364] w6 ?@E65 E96 2AA=:42E:@? 367@C6 E96 u656C2= t?6C8J #68F=2E@CJ r@>>:DD:@? H@F=5 @?=J 2==@H !C6>:F> t?6C8J E@ DEF5J E96 AC@;64EVD 762D:3:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm%6;@? #2?49 QH@F=5 46CE2:?=J DFAA@CE 2 762D:3:=:EJ DEF5J E@ D66 :7 E96 AC@;64E H@F=5 H@C<[Q 96 HC@E6]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 C6DF=ED 8:G6 9@A6[ 2?5 :7 E96J >2?286 E@ 2EEC24E E96 Sa 3:==:@? E@ Sb 3:==:@? 6249 H@F=5 C6BF:C6[ E96J H:== 96=A r2=:7@C?:2 36EE6C 32=2?46 :ED D@=2C 2?5 H:?5 A@H6C 86?6C2E:@? H:E9 :ED 4@?E:?F:?8 ?665 7@C ?2EFC2=\82D\7F6=65 6=64EC:4:EJ]k^Am
kAm|F49 @7 r2=:7@C?:2VD C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6 42?VE AC@5F46 A@H6C 2== E96 E:>6[ E96 H2J A6EC@=6F>\7:C65 A@H6C A=2?ED 42?] %96 DE2E6 :D 2?I:@FD 7@C 8C62E6C :?G6DE>6?E :? 6?6C8J DE@C286 ?@E =:>:E65 E@ 32EE6C:6D[ H9:49 =:<6 AF>A65 9J5C@ AC6D6?E E96:C @H? 36?67:ED 2?5 5C2H324<D H:E9 C682C5 E@ C6DA@?D:G6?6DD[ 5FC2E:@?[ =@?86G:EJ 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= :>A24ED] r2=:7@C?:2 A@=:4J>2<6CD 92G6 6IAC6DD65 E96:C AC676C6?46 7@C 2 5:G6CD6 >:I @7 6?6C8J DE@C286 724:=:E:6D]k^Am
k9bm%w#tt ~%wt#$k^9bm
kAm!C6>:F> t?6C8JVD AC@;64E 2=@?8 E96 vC2A6G:?6 :D E96 7@FCE9 AF3=:4=J 5:D4=@D65 AC@A@D2= 7@C 4@?DECF4E:?8 =2C86 724:=:E:6D :? z6C? r@F?EJ E@ DE@C6 6?6C8J 7@C FD6 :? E:>6D @7 ?665] ~?6 :D {@D p?86=6D\32D65 g>:?FE6 $@=2C t?6C8JVD >@C6 E92? S` 3:==:@? A9@E@G@=E2:4\A=FD\32EE6CJ AC@;64E E92E H@F=5 36 3F:=E :? E96 r2?E:= 2C62 :? 62DE6C? z6C?]k^Am
kAm%96 @E96C[ 36D:56D !C6>:F>VD EH@[ :D 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= A2CE?6CD9:AVD S`]d 3:==:@? AC@A@D2= 7@C 2 4@>AC6DD65\2:C 6?6C8J DE@C286 AC@;64E ?62C #@D2>@?5]k^Am
kAm!F>A65 9J5C@ H@C<D 3642FD6 @7 8C2G:EJ] t=64EC:4:EJ 86?6C2E65 H96? E96 DF? :D D9:?:?8 @? D@=2C 2CC2JD 8@6D E@ AF>AD E92E =:7E H2E6C 7C@> 2 =@H6C C6D6CG@:C E@ 2 9:896C @?6] (96?6G6C E96 DE2E6 8C:5 ?665D E92E A@H6C[ E96 H2E6C :D C6=62D65 2?5 :ED <:?6E:4 6?6C8J EFC?D 9J5C@6=64EC:4 EFC3:?6D 7665:?8 E96 DE2E6VD A@H6C 8C:5]k^Am
kAm!C6>:F>VD 56D:8? 42==D 7@C 2 4=@D65 =@@A E92E H@F=5 >:?:>:K6 H2E6C =@DD H:E9 2 >6>3C2?6 36=@H 2?5 D@=2C A2?6=D 23@G6 2 EF??6= 4@??64E:?8 E96 EH@ C6D6CG@:CD] tG2A@C2E:@? 4@F=5?VE 36 6?E:C6=J 6=:>:?2E65[ 2?5 D@ =2<6 H2E6C H@F=5 C6A=6?:D9 E96 :?DE2==2E:@? AC@A@D65 :? E96 D@FE96C? $:6CC2 }6G252] %96 2BF65F4E H@F=5 A6C:@5:42==J C67:== E96 AC@;64E ?62C {6364]k^Am
kAmq6D:56D H2E6C 2446DD[ E96 3:886DE 5:776C6?46D 36EH66? E96 EH@ AC@A@D2=D 2C6 E96:C A62< @FEAFE 2?5 9@H =@?8 E96J H@F=5 AC@5F46 6?6C8J — 2?5 :? 2 >@C6 7F?52>6?E2= D6?D6[ E96:C AFCA@D6D]k^Am
k9bm%#pst\~uu$k^9bm
kAm#@;2D[Â 2? 6?8:?66C 7@C>6C=J H:E9 E96 {@D p?86=6D s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2E6C 2?5 !@H6C[ D2:5 A=2?D 4@F=5 492?86 3FE E92E E96 AC@;64E ?62C {6364 H@F=5 =:<6=J DE@C6 6?@F89 H2E6C E@ A@H6C 7:G6 EFC3:?6 86?6C2E@CD AFEE:?8 @FE 2 E@E2= @7 `[___ >682H2EED 7@C 2 7F== ac 9@FCD]k^Am
kAm%96 @?6 ?6IE E@ xD236==2 {2<6 H@F=5 @?=J DE@C6 6?@F89 H2E6C E@ CF? 7@C `a 9@FCD[ DF49 E92E :E 82E96CD A@E6?E:2= 6?6C8J 92=7 E96 52J 2?5 AFED @FE <:?6E:4 6?6C8J E96 @E96C 92=7] %92E AC@;64E H@F=5 2=D@ 92G6 2 8C62E6C 5:776C6?46 :? 6=6G2E:@? 36EH66? E96 FAA6C 2?5 =@H6C C6D6CG@:CD[ 2?5 E96 H2E6C Q9:EE:?8Q 92C56C >62?D :E H@F=5 AC@5F46 EH:46 2D >2?J >682H2EED :? 2 8:G6? 9@FC]k^Am
kAm#@;2D D2:5 ?@ 7:?2= 564:D:@? 92D 366? >256 @? H96E96C E96 AC@;64E ?62C {6364 H@F=5 CF? 7@C `a @C 7@C ac 9@FCD[ 3FE :7 :E 5@6D 4@?E2:? 6?@F89 42A24:EJ 7@C 2 7F== 52J E96? :E H@F=5 D6CG6 2D 2 324<FA A@H6C DJDE6> 2D @AA@D65 E@ 2 H2J @7 32=2?4:?8 @FE C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J 56=:G6CJ @? 2 52:=J 32D:D]k^Am
kAm(9:49 @?6 H@F=5 F=E:>2E6=J 36 3F:=E[ 96 D2:5[ Q56A6?5D @? E96 64@?@>:4D]Qk^Am
kAmt249 @7 E96 E9C66 2=E6C?2E:G6D !C6>:F> @FE=:?65 :? 2 ut#r ?@E:46 AF3=:D965 %F6D52J H@F=5 4@>6 H:E9 2 ?6H A@H6C9@FD6 D:E65 ?6IE E@ 2 =@H6C C6D6CG@:C] %96 AC@;64E H@F=5 92G6 2 DH:E49J2C5 H:E9 2Â EC2?D>:DD:@? =:?6 4@??64E65 E@ 6:E96C {]p] s(!VD #@D2>@?5 $H:E49:?8 $E2E:@? @C $@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 t5:D@? r@]VD q2:=6J $F3DE2E:@?]k^Am
kAms6E2:=D 23@FE E96 AC@;64E 42? 36 7@F?5 @?=:?6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]76C4]8@G^76C4\@?=:?6^6=:3C2CJQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]76C4]8@G^76C4\@?=:?6^6=:3C2CJk^2m] $62C49 E96C6 7@C 5@4<6E ?F>36C !\`d`_c]k^Am
kAm!F3=:4 4@>>6?ED @? E96 AC@;64E 2C6 5F6 }@G] a_] %96J 42? 36 DF3>:EE65 @?=:?6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^76C4@?=:?6]76C4]8@G^ut#r~?=:?6]2DAIQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^76C4@?=:?6]76C4]8@G^ut#r~?=:?6]2DAIk^2m]k^Am
