INYOKERN, Calif., July 18 (Ridgecrest Online) — Ridgecrest is trying to move from public commenter to formal participant in the state review of the proposed Inyokern Data Center.
At a Wednesday evening meeting, the Ridgecrest City Council directed staff to begin the process of seeking intervenor status in the California Energy Commission review. Intervenor status is a formal way for a public agency to take part in a proceeding, rather than only sending in comments from the sidelines.
What is the state reviewing?
The California Energy Commission has opened docket 26-SPPE-01 for the project and maintains a project page for “RB Inyokern Data Center.” City staff said the commission is first checking whether the developer’s application is complete. If it is found complete, the project would move into a formal review that could last more than a year before it returns to local agencies, including Kern County, for more approvals.
That makes the first step important. If an application is not complete, the deeper review does not begin. If it is complete, the process can expand into a longer public proceeding with more opportunities for comments and agency participation.
Why does intervenor status matter?
For a city, intervenor status is a way to become an official part of the record in a state case. It can give the local government a direct role as the review continues.
In this case, Ridgecrest’s move comes as the project is already drawing public attention in and around the Inyokern area. A Ridgecrest-based group, Taxpayers for Accountability for Our Groundwater, filed comments with the California Energy Commission. South Kern Sol also reported that community members submitted letters between April 28 and May 6 asking for environmental review.
A separate Change.org petition titled “Petition to Halt or Require Full Environmental Review of the Proposed Inyokern Datacenter” also appeared on May 4. The petition page shows public concern, but it is not part of the formal state process.
What happens next?
The California Energy Commission is expected to continue working through the application. The agency’s project page lists contact points, including staff, a public advisor and a media office.
For Ridgecrest, the council’s action is a procedural step, not a final decision on the project itself. If the city completes the filing and the commission accepts it, Ridgecrest would have a more formal voice in a review that could shape whether the Inyokern Data Center advances.
