Kings County Supervisors approved the 415-acre Jackson Ranch Specific Plan last year at Utica Avenue and I-5. The Jackson Ranch project will bring two gas stations, a truck stop, two hotels, two restaurant pads, three retail pads and three fast food pads. Rendering contributed

The Nov. 25 print edition of The Business Journal included economic forecasts for each of the four counties we cover. We will be sharing them throughout the week.

Kings County continues its recovery from the pandemic, expanding on their focus on green energy, agriculture and hospitality.

Building off a successful rebound year in 2021 which saw the unemployment rate fall to 6.1% as of October, a rebounding workforce is a reason to celebrate.

From the expansion of food processors and producers to the implementation of new technology, Kings County continues to thrive primarily in governmental sectors — home to Corcoran State Prison and others — and the agricultural sector, with nearly 8,000 farm employees countywide.

“The major players in our economy are government and agriculture, both being fairly defensive industries,” said Interim Economic and Workforce Development Director Jay Salyer.

Despite facing water shortages that continue to threaten the western parts of the county, Kings County still shows several projects throughout the area scheduled to begin in 2023, including Central Valley Meat’s expansion onto an additional 128 acres of land.

Salyer also added that several projects have land purchases in place for anaerobic digestion systems utilized to process chicken manure. The process — which according to Salyer is the first time Kings County has seen used in poultry — is typically used with cow waste.

“It’s used a lot in the dairy industry,” he said. “The final products of this are going to be, obviously, natural gas for the grid, and a high-quality fertilizer.”

Salyer also added that Kings County has received a large amount of interest from companies seeking to provide green power in the means of hydrogen production and solar plants.

The Westlands Solar Park will see substantial expansion over the coming years, with projects already underway to add to the already 21,000-acre site. Aquamarine — a 250-megawatt solar photovoltaic project — was completed and became operational in February 2022 and will continue to see additions until at least 2031.

“On the energy side, we’ve got significant solar installations that have come online,” Salyer said. “We’ve got some more that are in the process of being constructed and we’ve got those that are already in planning.”

In addition to solar, Kings County has also seen an increased interest in hydrogen manufacturing and distribution near Interstate 5, hoping to further establish their commitment to green energy.

In addition to solar, Kings County has also received interest in hydrogen manufacturing and distribution near I-5.

“Nothing’s come to fruition yet in Kings County, but we’re dealing with a lot of folks that are doing some planning and negotiating,” Salyer said of hydrogen manufacturing.

Additionally, with Kings County being home to a segment of the high-speed rail project, Salyer projects the county to become even more attractive to businesses in all sectors.

According to Salyer, the hospitality industry is beginning to recover from the pandemic, albeit slowly. He said restaurant expansion has slowed somewhat, although it is beginning to rebound.

Tachi Palace Casino and Resort underwent major renovations to the casino floor, adding and upgrading slot machines, as well as opening two new restaurants a 1,200-seat bingo facility and a new spa.

Additionally, Hanford will see the groundbreaking of several hotels near 12th Avenue and Highway 198 in the coming months.

Additionally, a large project in the unincorporated area near I-5 and Utica is preparing to break ground.

The project, in a 415-acre area referred to as Jackson Ranch, hopes to bring commercial, light industrial and agricultural businesses to the area, furthering Kings County’s expansion of hydrogen manufacturing and distribution as well as bringing some hospitality services to the area.

“It’s going to be a mixture of ag, industrial and commercial hospitality,” Salyer said.

From employment numbers to projects nearing groundbreaking and nearing completion, Kings County is well on its way to continued recovery despite continued economic instability and the threat of recession.

“I suspect that we’re going to have some pretty large announcements for projects here shortly I hope,” Salyer added. “Once we get past the holidays, we’ll have a better idea of timing and layout for some of