Governor Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature are supporting the vision of California State University, Bakersfield for a new era in Kern County’s proud history of energy production with the allocation of $83 million to build the Energy Innovation Center, an incubator for science, research and technology that will bring together CSUB faculty and students, in partnership with industry and community leaders.

The one-time funding is part of the $300 billion California spending plan for 2022-23, unveiled by the governor and Legislature on Sunday night. CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny welcomed the support, saying the Energy Innovation Center will be a catalyst for ingenuity, regional collaboration, job growth and progress on climate science.

“I want to thank the governor and Legislature for their belief in CSUB’s vision for the Energy Innovation Center. This is a proud day for our university, but our entire community will reap the benefits of this unprecedented investment in the future of California’s energy sector. We pledge to think big, prioritize partnerships, and to remember the ‘why’ that guides us every day: to serve the people of our great region.”

Now that the funding is secured, Zelezny said university leaders will begin the process of planning right away. Thom Davis, CSUB’s vice president for business and administrative services and chief financial officer, said next steps include refreshing the feasibility study with stakeholders; initiating the first steps on the California Environmental Quality Act requirements; and developing the request for qualifications to identify the project contractor.

In January of this year, Newsom unveiled the $83 million proposed allocation, calling CSUB “a remarkable CSU.” He also noted that “Bakersfield and Kern County are at the center” of progressive approaches to energy research.

In 2019, CSUB launched a comprehensive initiative to gather community support for the center and building following an extensive feasibility study and the growing demand for Science, Technology and Mathematics professional in our region, as well as a significant increase in STEM majors at the university.

The building that will house the three-level center will be constructed near the science buildings on the southeast side of the campus.

The Energy Innovation Center will contain CSUB’s California Energy Research Center, expanded fabrication lab, 44 faculty and staff offices, and serve as the home base to 30 degree programs of the Schools of Natural Science, Mathematics and Engineering and Extended Education and Global Outreach.

“This one-time funding is the culmination of years of hard work by CSUB leaders to create a center for research, scholarship and science here in the heart of the state’s energy industry,” Zelezny said. “With the Energy Innovation Center, CSUB and our partners will lead the conversation forward as we explore emerging technologies like carbon sequestration to help our state get to zero emissions, all while working to open new doors of opportunity to workers in the energy sector.”

Earlier this year, CSUB’s California Energy Research Center convened a far-reaching symposium on carbon sequestration, an emerging technology considered to be one of several promising strategies to help California achieve its ambitious zero-emissions goal. The symposium demonstrated CSUB’s mission of bringing together the top scientists in energy and climate and included partners like Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore Lab Foundation, Climate Now and the California Council on Science and Technology.

The Energy Innovation Center will allow the university to accelerate similar collaborations and research while developing technologies to diversify the local workforce, create a sustainable tax revenue model and improve the quality of life for residents of the San Joaquin Valley.

For the entire CSU, the governor and Legislature increased ongoing funding of $365 million — including $211 million in unallocated funding and $81 million for enrollment growth — and $1.1 billion in one-time funding.

More information on the budget outlook for the entire CSU system is available here. Key highlights include:

$211.1 million in unallocated funds for the priorities of the operating budget request;
$35 million for Graduation Initiative 2025;
$81 million for resident enrollment growth of 9,434 FTES; and
$10 million to support student basic needs.

“At CSUB, we are thankful to the governor and Legislature for demonstrating their support in our vision for energy and sustainability and we pledge to work with every partner in our region to honor their belief in us with research and innovation that will be the pride of our great state,” President Zelezny said.

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