TUPMAN -- Tiffany Rau of Hydrogen Energy LLC thinks the time is now to turn to alternative forms of energy.

"I think we've got roughly 40 to 50 years to really stabilize this climate, and we need to be doing everything we can," she says.

While Kern County has been at the forefront of wind and solar energy generation for years, there is a new push to bring one of the world's first hydrogen energy plants with the ability to store carbon to the foothills near Tupman.

"This is an energy oriented county and Kern County is certainly an area where a project of this kind can be successful," said Larry Pickett, a local liaison for Hydrogen Energy.

The proposed hydrogen energy plant would produce 250 megawatts of electricity, enough to power around 150,000 homes every year, Pickett said.

Through a process called gasification, the plant would heat petroleum coke produced from neighboring oil fields. Through the process, elements like sulfur are sequestered to produce hydrogen fuel and carbon dioxide.

The hydrogen is used to generate electricty, while the carbon dioxide is compressed and piped underground beneath an impervious seal for permanent storage. Once underground, the CO2 stimulates hard-to-reach oil reserves and extends the life of the neighboring oil fields.

"Not only does [Kern County] have oil and gas production that we can enhance, but its ideal geology fot containing CO2 and preventing it from going in the atmosphere," Rau said.

In addition to acquiring approval from the California Energy Commission, one of the keys is securing government funding to build the plant. Hydrogen Energy believes the economic stimulus, which set aside more than $3.2 billion for carbon capture facilities, will help pay for the initial investment.

"It's important from the standpoint of wanting state and federal partnership with private investment to really bring along an emerging technology and really harness it for the future of climate mitigation and the power sector," Rau said.

If approval is given and funding secured, construction on the plant could start in the year 2011, creating around 1,500 construction jobs.

The plant could be fully operational by 2014, with around 150 employees, Rau said.