Bakersfield received two pieces of good environmental news today:

One, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger submitted the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s application today for more than $4.7 billion in federal stimulus money toward building segments of the system – one of which is the Bakersfield to Fresno segment.

Local leaders, including Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio, attended a Fresno event held simultaneously with events in Los Angeles and San Jose – the two other areas of the state with projects included in the grant applications.

Local proponents of the Bakersfield to Fresno segment not only support its development as a test track for the entire system, but also note that it will help our local economy.

In a Twitter feed launched by the CHSRA today, Rubio wrote, “The Central Valley needs the jobs the CA High-Speed Train will bring.”

CHSRA board member Fran Florez said in a press release, “The Central Valley has been among the hardest hit regions in the nation due to the economic downturn, and federal funds for California’s high-speed train project will do exactly what they are intended to do which is inject a much-needed stimulus resulting in new jobs for our community.”

California is seeking more than half of the $8 billion in federal stimulus money set aside specifically for high-speed rail projects across the country. Today was the deadline for applications. Read our in-depth story about the California projects.

From cow manure to natural gas

The second piece of news also came from the governor: Bakersfield-based BioEnergy Solutions has won a 2009 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its dairy biomethane project, which essentially captures the methane released from the decomposition of cow manure and turns it into natural gas. The award is in the “Climate Change” category because the project reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides renewable energy.

BioEnergy Solutions’ first site went online at Vintage Dairy near Fresno in 2008 and the company now has 34 other dairies signed up for future projects. According to the company’s website, the one in Fresno is currently undergoing expansion and another is slated for construction near Bakersfield in early 2010.

The natural gas is fed directly into a PG&E gas line and BioEnergy Solutions splits the proceeds from the sale of gas and carbon credits with the dairy farmers. “Our business model creates a way for everyone to win, from the utility and the developer, to the dairy producer and the environment,” the company’s founder and CEO, David Albers, said in a press release.

Watch for more coverage of this innovative process on Bakersfield Express as we go behind the scenes for an upcoming story.