About the Energy Innovation Building

The new Energy Innovation Building (EIB) will be a hub of excellence in promoting innovative and inclusive energy solutions for a sustainable future, supporting student success in science, technology, engineering, math and entrepreneurship with opportunities for collaboration with local companies, national research labs and regional partners. EIB provides approximately 38,049 ASF / 56,263 GSF to house California Energy Research Center (CERC), support educational and research labs in various engineering areas; enhance the quality of student learning; and increase campus capacity for community and global outreach and partnerships. 

In particular, CERC plays a critical role in shaping the future research landscape in energy related areas in Kern County and in translating research into education and community activities. The EIB will provide four collaborative research labs and office space to facilitate visiting scientists, research and industrial collaboratorations. The Event Hall in the EIB will be used to host the annual CERC Symposium that brings together researchers, educators, students, business leaders, policy makers and community partners. With specialized labs, space for collaboration, design and technology transfer, and space for community engagement, CSU Bakersfield students and faculty will work together, in partnership with industry collaborators and visiting researchers, to move the region and the nation forward through innovation and solution-based research. 

The design of the Energy Innovation Building has been approved by the California State University Board of Trustees in Spring 2025, and the construction is anticipated to start in Fall 2025. The expected completion date of the EIB is in Fall 2027. 

For the latest status of the building, read the story by CSUB's Jennifer Self.

Artist rendering shows new building from southwest side. Text in lower banner reads "A center for research, scholarship and science in the heart of the state's energy industry," with logos for ACMartin, Swinerton, Bynum and CSUB.
Artist rendering shows the new building's main entrance. Text in lower banner reads "A leading-edge facility designed to foster collaboration, creativity and research," with logos for ACMartin, Swinerton, Bynum and CSUB.
Artist rendering of four different indoor spaces of the new building, including the main lobby, a large event hall and two upper level open areas. Text in lower banner reads "At the forefront of research, preparing our students to tackle the challenges of tomorrow and contributing to the economic growth and technological advancement of our state and beyond," with logos for ACMartin, Swinerton, Bynum and CSUB.
A blueprint for the new building shows plans for each of its three floors. The first floor includes the event hall, a space for senior capstone projects and research labs; the second floor includes more laboratory spaces for engineering projects, Physics and Engineering research, and CERC research labs; the third floor includes offices for NSME admin, CERC, Physics & Engineering faculty and CSUB EEGO. Text in lower banner reads "At the forefront of research, preparing our students to tackle the challenges of tomorrow and contributing to the economic growth and technological advancement of our state and beyond," with logos for ACMartin, Swinerton, Bynum and CSUB.

Helping Kern County Reach Energy Goals

CSU Bakersfield has long identified the need to increase student learning and collaborative faculty research space for energy innovation. Recent regional efforts have magnified the key role this unique space will play in reimagining the future of energy.

A Better Bakersfield and Boundless Kern (B3K Prosperity) is an inclusive economic development effort launched in 2019 to provide forward thinking strategies and workplans to transform the region. CSU Bakersfield has been a key lead in this work since its inception and through the collaborative efforts of B3K Prosperity, a bold vision for Kern County's energy sector has been created.

To establish Kern County as leading energy innovator in the emerging global market for clean energy, renewable fuels, and carbon management, providing products, services, and technologies that also drive long-term economic growth and generate large numbers of new, durable good jobs for residents.

To accomplish this formidable task, there is a distinct need to establish a regional Clean Energy and Carbon Management Innovation Cluster. This cluster draws upon Kern's rich history of energy production while recognizing that clean energy is broader than fuels. It is about being more efficient, including generating reliable and affordable electricity from diverse renewable and lower carbon intensity sources, and transforming industrial operations to have the lowest carbon intensity possible. Regional success would be measured by:

  • Industry-leading carbon management technology testing and development, with the ability to scale best practices for state, national, and international applicability
  • A skilled local workforce with quality job opportunities
  • A sustainable tax revenue model leading to more prosperous local communities
  • An improved quality of life for residents in Kern County, including improved environmental stewardship and increased economic prosperity

Additionally, the impact of Kern's Clean Energy and Carbon Management Cluster will significantly impact all of California's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.

A key component of the Energy and Carbon Management Innovation Cluster is the Energy Innovation Building at CSU Bakersfield. This unique building is designed to promote excellence in applied research, demonstration, and validation at scale; attracting best in class researchers while bringing industry leaders, academicians, and scientists together to collaborate on innovative solutions to energy challenges, develop quality talent and foster an environment embracing rich technology transfer.

CSU Bakersfield students and faculty will work together, in partnership with industry collaborators and visiting researchers, to move the region and the nation forward through innovation and solution-based research. The complex will feature state-of-the-art classrooms, specialized laboratories, and workspaces, business incubator space, and several public spaces for collaboration and community engagement.

A science-academic partnership between CSU Bakersfield and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will support the research and technical infrastructure needed to accelerate carbon neutrality throughout the state. This type of research ecosystem and science/academic partnership will demonstrate and showcase that carbon neutrality is possible while educating and training CSU Bakersfield students needed for this growing field.  LLNL's Carbon Initiative scientists will serve as active research and technical partners with CSU Bakersfield.

CERC's Future Home

Housed in the new Energy Innovation Building, CERC will be able to expand the coordination of the research and outreach efforts of research faculty whose collective teamwork will enhance student opportunities and external funding efforts in energy and climate change. CERC will cultivate interdisciplinary research, expand energy-focused grant writing, increase student research opportunities, and position CERC as a resource for energy-related information (including energy-related career information) for the community.

The primary mission of CERC is to support, promote, and expand interdisciplinary energy-related research at CSU Bakersfield.  The mission is largely achieved through facilitating partnerships and collaborative grants and research. 

The building is designed to include CERC research labs that can accommodate a diverse array of scientific activities related to energy research and innovation.  These research spaces will facilitate collaborative research, attract external partners in energy research, and promote student and faculty research opportunities.

The new CERC spaces will:

  • Enable inter-institutional, co-curricular and extra-curricular, participatory lab-based research that is not currently possible.
  • Bring together researchers and industry leaders to foster energy innovation supporting carbon neutrality and, ultimately climate resiliency.
  • Serve to facilitate collaborative, external grants and contracts that involve external partners providing opportunities for student researchers and community partners. 
  • Allow CSU Bakersfield to host energy-related events and develop energy-related educational opportunities in collaboration with industries, research organizations, and universities.