This document discusses options for Kern County's future energy economy as California phases out carbon and nuclear energy. It argues that renewables like solar and wind cannot replace the lost energy capacity from shutting down nuclear plants. While oil and gas will remain important, prices are volatile and environmental regulations increasing. The document proposes nuclear energy as a safer option than assumed that can provide reliable, carbon-free energy for Kern County and California. It suggests starting small nuclear reactors at Edwards Air Force Base to take advantage of existing security and invest now while oil profits are high.

1. Why Nuclear Energy is
Right for Kern County
 A proposal for the future economy of Kern
County and energy for all of California
 February 6, 2022

2.  California has set contradictory goals of
eliminating both Carbon Based Energy and
Nuclear based energy
 When San Onofre was decommissioned,
Natural Gas was used to offset much of the lost
energy capacity
 Diablo Canyon – California’s Last Nuclear
Power Plant (San Luis Obispo) – will be shut
down in 2024
 This is 8-11% of California’s electrical grid
(12,800 MWh per year)
 Wind Power would have to double to make
up for this loss

3. What about Oil/Gas?
 Oil and Gas will be a major part of Kern’s
economy for years to come
 However the Market is too volatile to be our
only energy sources and economic engine
 High Prices are good for local jobs and public
funding
 High Prices are bad for the overall economy and
the local population
 Low prices hurt the local economy and public funds
 With fracking supply can rapidly increase and crash
prices

4. Oil and Gas Strengths
 Existing infrastructure
 Continuing demand
 Electrical Vehicles cannot match diesel’s range for
Long Haul Truckers
 Heating and cooking
 Consumers cannot replace all gasoline vehicles
overnight
 Reliance on solar and wind has increased use of
Natural Gas for Electricity

5. Oil and Gas Headwinds
 Supply Challenges
 Finite Resource
 Extraction Costs
 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
 Environmental Concerns
 Air Quality – San Juaquin Valley, LA, SFV
 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
 Demand Challenges
 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
 Electrical Demand expected to grow

6. We Have Renewables
 Solar
 Wind
 Geothermal
 Hydro

7. THE END

8. NOT REALLY

9. We have renewables….sometimes
 We have Solar Sometimes
 During the day/Seasonally
 Rates increase at night when demand spikes
 Solar Efficiency Drops as panels get Hotter
 Batteries have to be replaced every 3-5 years
 Solar swings and misses
 No Property Taxes
 Uses a disproportionate amount of land
 Disrupts birds, plants, and other wild life
 Environmental concerns with Raw materials,
manufacturning, and recycling

10. Renewables are part of the solution,
just not the whole solution
 Wind
 Kills too many birds
 Not a consistent or controllable
 Hydro
 Affected by drought
 New dams can affect areas downstream
 Geothermal
 Limited to specific locations
 Helpful, just not a complete solution

11. Other Options
 Hydrogen
 Power storage/medium. Not a power source.
 Where you burn hydrogen or use it in a fuel cell for
electricity, you must convert either Natural Gas or
Water to Hydrogen
 Uses a lot of electricity and/or Natural Gas
 A great option as you can convert gasoline vehicles
 You need Energy to Make Hydrogen

12. The Nuclear Option
 Nuclear Power is actually quite common
 Navy Submarines and Aircraft Carriers
 Japan
 Ukraine
 Nuclear power is safer than most people realize
 Navy vessels are safe and reliable
 Japan’s Fukushima did not actually kill anybody and
was because of a very old design
 Other Japanese Reactors did not Meltdown
 Ukraine has not meltdowns despite Russian attacks

13. Nuclear News
 Modular Reactors can be used when there is
not much land
 Thorium Molten Salt Reactors do not require
water as a coolant and reduce risk of steam
explosions
 Newer designs allow for passive shutdown in
case personnel must evacuate

14. Why in Kern County
 We need to invest in Energy and the community
 California has ridiculously high electricity prices
(Thanks Solar)
 We can start at Edward’s Air Base to take
advantage of Base Security
 We need to Invest now with Oil Profits high
before there is another market drop