BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Congressman Jim Costa today announced $30 million in federal dollars to directly fund over 100 high-paying, full-time Valley jobs and thousands more indirectly. The funding, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was awarded to advance Clean Energy Systems Inc.’s (CES) pioneering work to develop clean energy and improve air quality for our Valley at their Kimberlina facility north of Bakersfield. Through a series of meetings and correspondence with the Department of Energy, Costa fought to secure funding for this innovative, job-creating project in the Valley.

“Securing this funding is a major victory for our region’s economy and future generations of Valley residents,” said Costa. “This project will further spur economic development in the heart of our Valley while creating high-paying jobs over the short and long-term. As we work to improve our economy, I will continue to fight so our Valley sees a fair return on the tax dollars we send to Washington. I am proud to have supported this funding and I commend the leadership of CES for helping make our region an emerging hub for innovation and energy development.”

"Congressman Costa has taken a strong interest in clean technologies like ours that make sense for the Valley and California. He has been instrumental over the past several years in keeping this program moving forward," said Keith Pronske, President and CEO of Clean Energy Systems. "His hands on approach and commitment to understand the benefits of our technology will directly lead to cleaner air and more local jobs."

CES are leaders in developing clean and emission-free energy technologies – a field that is critical to the Valley’s economic future as well as our nation’s access to affordable and reliable energy. The core of CES’s work uses rocket science to convert traditional fuels such as natural gas or syngas from coal, biomass, or petcoke into energy with nearly 100% carbon capture, meaning close to zero CO2 emissions. These efforts play a key role in reducing America’s dependence on foreign sources of oil and gas.

The Recovery Act funding announced today will go to development, testing, and construction of turbines used to convert traditional fuels into clean energy. These turbines will be the first of their kind, making CES’s Kimberlina facility a true pioneer in the field.

Information Provided By The Office Of Jim Costa