New Home Permits Up 35 Percent in Visalia
The number of new home permits in Visalia is up 35% this year through July when compared to the same period last year. Visalia permitted 59 new homes in July compared to 51 for the same month last year. The city has issued building permits for 42 multi-family units this year vs none last year.Meanwhile the value of all permits is up 41% this year.
California Gas Prices In Steady Decline Again
Some rare good news at the pump this week as California gas prices are falling at a steady pace in early August. A few stations selling below $3 this week statewide and locally. Tulare’s lowest price this week is $2.99 at Spirit Gas on Inyo.
The spike in price in the state in July surprised many coming even as oil prices declined and the rest of the US saw lower prices at the pump. That trend continues this week as WTI oil is down to $44 a barrel and Kern Midway Sunset oil selling at $42.85 Thursday. Gas Buddy says the state average price has declined from $3.90 in mid-July to $3.66 today.
Sleep Number To Join Shoe Palace On Mooney
Mattress retailer Sleep Number will open a store in Visalia joining Shoe Palace in a new development rising now in front of ToysRUs. Sources say construction of the new retail should be complete by years end.
Porterville College to Offset up to 80 Percent of Electricity Use with Solar Energy System
Porterville College announced it is partnering with Borrego Solar Systems Inc. to install 1.12 megawatt (MW) of solar energy capacity on elevated shade structures over its parking lots. The $4 million installation is expected to deliver an estimated $6.5 million in energy savings over the life of the system.
The solar installation’s generation will meet 70 percent to 80 percent of the campus’ electricity demand. The sites will be net-metered, meaning that any solar energy not consumed by the campus will be fed into the local electricity grid. The same company is building solar for COS.
First Solar Gains On Sales of Valley Solar Projects
First Solar stock was up this week after reporting good earnings – up $427 million from the first quarter due to “increased revenue recognition on the Silver State South project and the sale of majority interests in the North Star(Mendota) and Lost Hills-Blackwell projects (Kern Co).”
SE Tulare Water District Will Retire Acreage
The Angiola Water District is proposing to undertake implementation of a Groundwater Land Retirement/Groundwater Conservation Easement Program that would acquire title to or groundwater conservation easements upon parcels of land in southwest Tulare County, impose permanent covenants prohibiting groundwater extraction and groundwater usage from on or off-site groundwater sources within the Tule Sub-Basin. According to a public notice the Program areas is generally defined as bordered by Road 92 to the east, the Kern County boundary to the south, the Kings County boundary to the west, and Avenue 88 to the north. The Program (or study) area, is comprised of ~1,458 parcels totaling an estimated 53,937 acres. Within the Program area, 73 Project parcels totaling about 6,868 acres are discussed & analyzed on a site-specific, Project-level basis.
Almond Crop Down On Poor Set
California’s 2015 almond production is forecast at 1.80 billion meat
pounds, down 3 percent from May’s subjective forecast and down 4
percent from last year’s crop.The average nut set per tree is 5,874, down 12 percent from 2014. The Nonpareil average nut set is 5,239, down 14 percent from last year. The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.43 grams, down 1 percent from the 2014 average weight of 1.45.