The physical authorization would be narrowed substantially
Kern County’s November 10 packet proposes amending Franchise F-657 for a renewable-fuels pipeline. The maximum outside diameter would fall from 24 inches to 8.625 inches, a reduction of 15.375 inches or 64.06%.
Diameter is not capacity, and the packet does not publish pressure, throughput or engineering assumptions. Still, the proposed number materially narrows the physical size the franchise would authorize in county rights-of-way.
| Term | Current | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Grantee | Bakersfield Renewable Fuels, LLC | Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC |
| Maximum outside diameter | 24 inches | 8.625 inches |
| Purpose | Renewable fuel and other hydrocarbons | Renewable fuel only |
| Expiration | Feb. 26, 2045 | No change |
The amendment removes a broader commodity category
The draft would delete authority to transport “other hydrocarbons,” leaving renewable fuel as the stated pipeline purpose. The board letter says the operating refinery is owned by parent company Crimson Renewable Energy, LP, which also owns the proposed franchise holder.
The transfer is therefore described as a corporate reorganization inside the same broader ownership group, not an open sale to an unrelated operator. The county says it conducted the required financial, technical and character review of the new grantee.
The fee formula stays the same
The amendment would not change the 20-year term or rate structure. The packet says the minimum annual fee is $5,000 plus a state-calculated per-foot amount, adjusted each year, and that the county received a $1,200 administrative fee for processing the amendment.
The public record does not state the pipeline’s actual length or the current annual payment, so this article does not calculate franchise revenue. That missing denominator limits comparison between the fee and county right-of-way use.
Method and limits
What’s the Scoop With Broach compared the existing and proposed ordinance terms in the 10-page packet and calculated the percentage diameter reduction. The analysis concerns legal authorization, not actual flow or refinery emissions.
The board was being asked to set a December 15 hearing, not grant final approval on November 10. The packet describes the project as existing and categorically exempt from further environmental review; this report does not independently adjudicate that legal conclusion.
Sources and further reading
Kern County franchise-amendment packet and draft ordinance ↗
Kern County Board of Supervisors agenda, November 10, 2026, item 18 ↗