BAKERSFIELD — Not only are industries in Kern County on the up-and-up, they are poised to lead a transformation of California and the nation.
At least that was the picture painted of the county’s prospects in Wednesday’s State of the County address, during which Kern County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phillip Peters highlighted the county’s legacy industries of oil, agriculture and defense.
“From the high desert communities of Ridgecrest, to the beautiful Kern River Valley, to the bustling city of Bakersfield, and west to the oil fields of Belridge. From cattle ranches in our north to a brand new casino in the south. It’s a perfect snapshot of all the things that should make us proud to be Americans,” Peters said of the county.
Peters noted that after years of struggling with the state, Kern County is issuing its own oil permits again, a boon, he said, to the county and the families that rely on the industry.
The county’s other energy production — wind and solar, with increasing battery storage capacity — shows the county is able to straddle the line between old and new technologies.
“As of Jan. 2, we’ve received nearly 300 oil-related permits and just in the first two weeks, with 127 new wells on the horizon,” he said.
Peters made several references to the county’s 160-year history, and repeatedly referenced a hard-working and determined spirit he said pervades the community.
“From the early settlers, who braved harsh deserts and rugged mountains, to miners that chased gold in the Kern River Valley, to the visionaries that transformed barren land into fertile farms. Here, the spirit of determination runs deep,” Peters said.
The resumption of oil permitting, continued wind and solar development and the future opening of Pacific Steel Group’s Mojave Micro Mill were offered as evidence of the county’s openness to business.
Not to mention the newly opened Hard Rock Casino Tejon.
“Whether you go and win big or wind up donating like I did, it is an exciting symbol of new investment in our region,” Peters said of the casino. “It’s bringing good jobs. It’s stimulating the local economy and helping put Kern County on the destination map.”
Peters’ optimism about the future of the county extended to the looming funding cuts expected to come down from both the state and federal levels. Faced with a multibillion-dollar deficit, it’s not clear how much the state will fund many of the social programs in high demand in Kern County.
Speaking to The Californian following the address, Peters said the last time he served as chairman was 2021, when the county was still recovering financially and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But even the fact that we got our legs cut out from underneath is basically, as far as our budget goes, we kept growing and we’ve had a massive investment in our public safety. We staffed up our fire department. We’re staffing up our sheriff’s department,” Peters said.
“We know that no matter how bad it gets, it’s been worse here before, and we’re going to find a way to get through it.”