(Jan 24, 2023)
Yuko Saito-Rodriguez is Regional Manager for Velur Enterprises (https://velurii.com/), a leading land-investment firm in Woodland Hills that offers a safe investment vehicle in land for solar and wind energy production, for cash and retirement plans. She has been a land investment consultant for private fund managers and has spoken at many Rotary clubs in Southern California. She is a member of South Bay Sunrise Rotary.
California is the most populous US state, with 40 million people in 2018 and estimated 50 million in 2055. If it were an independent country, California’s GDP would be the 5th largest in the world, and Southern California’s GDP would be 12th largest, ahead of the Russian Federation. California’s GDP is almost as large as Germany’s, the world’s #4 economy. Los Angeles is the “economic capital” of California, with 60% of its population, $60 billion in alternative energy installation, over half of its largest companies, and 67% of California’s international trade, with the 3rd busiest port in the world.
Although fossil fuels have caused an economic miracle over the past century, burning fossil carbon is promoting global warming. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, is selling off petroleum assets and preparing for a world beyond oil. Ford and other auto companies are chasing Tesla for electric vehicles sales. Los Angeles announced the largest E-bus order in history, and a $1 billion California EV charging project has been approved, mostly for trucks. The recent US “Inflation Reduction Act” includes money for the “green economy”.
Many land parcels of various sizes are being bought by solar companies in California, which has 7 of the 10 largest US solar farms. 100% of California’s electric power is planned to be renewable by 2035, and solar is the cleanest and most abundant energy source, now less expensive than from fossil fuels. The LA Department of Water and Power is planning a large battery electric storage system and switching station. Land in Kern County that sold for $24,000 per 2.5 acres in 2015 is now selling for $65,000. For utility scale solar & wind development, professional land consolidators and site selectors are allowing investment land ownership by individuals. Money can be made by owning land for transmission lines, easements, and purchase or lease.
The Clean Power Alliance purchases clean power for delivery by Southern California Edison. New buildings in California will increasingly be required to use clean renewable energy sources. Energy storage, such as in batteries, and renewable energy for transportation technology are also increasing. Sale of new gasoline-powered cars will be phased out in California over the next 13 years. Electric cars’ miles per gasoline equivalent (MPGe) are about 5 times as large as for comparable gasoline cars. The Redwood company is creating a supply chain for lithium-ion batteries across collection, refurbishment, recycling, refining and re-manufacturing of sustainable battery materials, with the goal of recycling 100% of EV batteries. The scale of renewable energy investments now is much greater than investments in the original Industrial Revolution. (“The best investment on EARTH is EARTH.”)