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D D
COMMUNITY TRENDS e e
Mission / Vision m m
Grounded and boundless The goal of the county’s economic development efforts is to expand the county’s economy
— Kern County’s centralized by developing businesses in six industry clusters — which will improve employment o o
location is hard to beat when it opportunities for county residents. g g
comes to reaching West Coast These are:
destinations. r r
• Aerospace and Defense • Transportation, Logistics, and Advanced
• Access 90 percent of • Energy and Natural Resources Manufacturing a a
California’s population — p P
and 14 percent of the U.S. • Healthcare Services • Value-added Agriculture
population — within a 300- • Tourism, Recreation and Entertainment h h
mile radius. i i
• More than 40 million people
within a four-hour drive. c c
• Inland port helps lower s s
drayage costs.
• Access: Interstate 5,
Highway 99 (north and
south), Highway 46 (west to
Central Coast) and Highway
58 east to Highways 14 and
395 and Interstate 15.
Among many East Kern contributions to more than 10,507 jobs for the region with
the county’s economy are: an annual payroll of $608 million. • Kern is the energy capital of California,
• Kern County is home to the nation’s • Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake’s supplying more than 60 percent of
largest wind farm, geothermal facility, economic impact is $1.2 billion, with a California’s renewable energy, 6,500 MWh
and battery storage system as well as the direct employment of 5,850 and a total of battery storage, 4,581 wind turbines
second-largest solar plant. payroll of $503 million. and located in the solar radiation “sweet
• Kern County is home to the world’s • Mojave Air & Space Port at Rutan spot” of the United States.
largest borax mine (Rio Tinto)and one of Field has seen dramatic growth due • Kern County is the leading renewable
two precious metal mines in California to increased demand within both the energy center in the U.S. for wind and
(Golden Queen Mining Company). private and government sectors. (2,500+ solar plants.
• East Kern is home to some of the most employees and 70+ companies). Current projects produce more than
innovative and specialized technologies • NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research 17,000 MWs of energy in the region.
in the world. The region’s aerospace Center is NASA’s home for high-risk flight • Kern County was recently named the
programs stand at the forefront of an research, advancing technologies for both wind capital of the entire world. The
industry gaining international recognition air and space flight. With nearly 1,200 region has a total wind power capacity of
for space tourism and the first-ever employees and a $308 million budget, 4 gigawatts and more turbines than the
privately-funded space flight, while the NASA Armstrong is contributing to our entire northeastern region of the U.S.
region’s defense and advanced weapons region’s economic strength and diversity
development are supported by two every day. • East Kern is also an important part of
military installations. • There are over 20,000 aerospace jobs the county’s tourism, recreation and
• Edwards Air Force Base has an annual in Kern County. These high-value, full- entertainment sector. Off-highway vehicle
enthusiasts enjoy nearly 15,000 acres of
economic impact of $2.27 billion, creating time jobs have staying power thanks riding areas including the Jawbone Canyon
to vast open land, lack of development Off-Highway Vehicle Area. In a typical year,
encroachment, proximity to Los Angeles the area attracts nearly 20,000 people over
and higher education levels per capita in Thanksgiving weekend, allowing them to
East Kern than most other regions in the camp and enjoy trails offering a range of
country. off-road experiences.
Source: 2022 AV EDGE Round Table Report content.
AVEDGECA.ORG | 2023 Economic Report | 23 |
