Latest
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, December 13th, 2013 / Central Coast, South Coast, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Outside funds fuel county’s energy boom
Santa Maria Energy’s deal to go public and bring its total funds raised to date to an estimated $90 million caps a flurry of renewed investment and activity in Santa Barbara County’s oil fields, both onshore and offshore. In addition to 136 wells that Santa Maria Energy has planned, Denver-based Venoco has proposals before regulators Read More →
Read More →
Latest
By Mary Ann Norbom / Friday, December 6th, 2013 / Small Business, Tourism, Wine & Viticulture, Women Inc. / Comments Off on The maverick of the valley: New Vintners’ chief has bold plan for Santa Barbara wine country
Morgen McLaughlin believes that some of the best wines in the in the world are being produced in Santa Barbara County, but that message hasn’t been getting out to consumers or the media.
Read More →
Latest
By Editorial Board / Friday, November 22nd, 2013 / Editorials, Opinion / Comments Off on Editorial: SB County oil cap vote is a slap in Santa Maria’s face
Santa Barbara County has slammed the door on the fingers of the Santa Maria Energy project — but not taken a stand that shuts that door completely. The approach has been, ‘If we can’t block it, we’ll regulate it in to nonprofitability.’
Read More →
Latest
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, November 22nd, 2013 / Central Coast, Real Estate, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Emissions cap prompts oil firm backlash
Santa Barbara County’s decision to impose a strict cap on carbon emissions from a proposed oil project puts the county at a competitive disadvantage in California and likely will cut into the money energy firms pump into the regional economy.
The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Nov. 12 to require Santa Maria Energy to cap its carbon emissions at 10,000 tons per year. Santa Maria Energy had proposed 136 wells for a site near Orcutt.
Santa Barbara County’s oil is thick and viscous. In order to extract it, companies inject steam into wells to soften the oil. Burning natural gas to create the steam is what generates the bulk of carbon emissions.
Read More →
Latest
By Editorial Board / Friday, November 8th, 2013 / Editorials, Opinion / Comments Off on Editorial: Santa Barbara County needs to think of its future
Santa Barbara County is edging closer to an economic development strategy. At least that was our takeaway after sitting in on the “Morality of Prosperity,” the name for this year’s action summit put on by the Santa Barbara County Technology & Industry Association.
Read More →
Latest
By Staff Report / Monday, November 4th, 2013 / Central Coast, Latest news, South Coast, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on Economists call on Santa Barbara County to embrace economic development
Santa Barbara County needs to rethink the role of economic development if it is going to retain upper middle class and head of household jobs.
That was the theme of the Oct. 31 annual summit of the Santa Barbara Technology & Industry Association. Held on Halloween day at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott hotel in Buellton, the event painted a scary economic future for the county.
Read More →
Latest
By Patrick Kulp / Friday, October 25th, 2013 / Banking & Finance, Central Coast, East Ventura County, South Coast, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / Comments Off on Ratings agencies unfazed as county pension costs rise
Despite dire warnings that future pension costs could cause a fiscal meltdown for tri-county governments, credit ratings for Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo county bonds remain mostly unaffected by looming gaps in their retirement obligation funding.
Standard & Poor’s, a leading rating agency, ranks all three counties near the top of a scale that spans from its highest AAA to C, the lowest rating a bond can have without defaulting. Santa Barbara County carries the agency’s second highest AA-plus designation. Ventura County is assigned a slightly lower AA-rating this year and SLO County is ranked AA-minus.
Read More →
