Helped by its knowledge of water and agriculture, the San Joaquin Valley has become a driving leader in the clean economy, according to a new report by Next 10.
The report, Clean Valley: San Joaquin Valley Leveraging Natural Resources to Grown the Clean Economy, showed that the San Joaquin Valley contributed 10,566 jobs to the clean economy in 2014.
Of those, 2,500 were involved in renewable energy development, followed by nearly 2,400 in the recycling and waste sector, more than 1,700 in air and environmental fields and around 1,200 in clean transportation.
But the Valleys' real mark on the clean economy, according to the report, comes by way of its industry partnerships to drive water innovation.
As a national center for agriculture and with increasing water concerns due to the statewide drought, the report said the San Joaquin Valley has positioned itself as a "leader in developing and implementing water-saving technologies."
The region's industry-led water cluster, first organized in 2001, now includes more than 200 companies including technology businesses, farmers, researchers to academic institutions sharing ideas about developing water technology and preparing a skilled workforce.
In 2011, the nickname Blue Tech Valley was coined to market the region as a hub for collaboration, testing and implementation of water technologies against the backdrop of its thriving agricultural industry, the report stated.
Much of the activity takes place at Center for Irrigation Technology located at Fresno State, a certified testing laboratory that has been conducting research and independent testing of pumps and other equipment at its facility since 1980.
The International Center for Water Technology, also based at Fresno State, focuses on water use efficiency through education, research and policy development, while the Water and Energy Technology Center, built in 2007, provides office space and resources for dozens of start-up companies to innovate and grow.
In 2013, the WET center’s member companies raised $7 million in capital and created 26 jobs in one year alone. Commercialization potential has shown, as San Joaquin Valley inventors registered 13 water patents from 2012 to 2013.
Farmers and food processing companies in the region are also adopting technologies that conserve water and reuse resources, the report said, mentioning leading food companies like E&J Gallo, Hilmar Cheese and Grimmway Farms.
Aside from water, the report also remarked on the San Joaquin Valley's growing involvement in the renewable energy sector.
Besides having nearly 65 megawatts in rooftop solar installations, the region also accounts for 42 percent of the cumulative solar and wind capacity under California's Renewable Portfolio Standard, with projects producing 7,726 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year.
Kern County, in particular, was singled out for its incentives and streamlined processed to increase installations and capacity.
As of September 2014, the county has permitted over 8,750 megawatts of renewable energy projects, more than any other county in the state and close to its renewable energy goal of 10,000 megawatts in production by 2015.
Alternative fuels was another niche mentioned in the report, with facilities coming online to make biofuel out of agricultural waste or sugar beets.