Daily Business Report: Aug. 22, 2023
Hardly anyone owns a hydrogen car. California
may pay up to $300 million for fuel stations anyway
With only 12,000 hydrogen cars on the road, and just two models for sale, lawmakers are debating how much state money should support them
By Alejandro Lazo | CalMatters
Electric cars are rolling off production lines, and one in five new cars sold in California this year is battery-powered. “California is showing the world what’s possible,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose plan to phase out fossil fuels and gasoline-powered cars is key to his ambitions of tackling climate change.
But as California steers away from the internal combustion engine, the rapid transition is fueling a fight in the Capitol over how large a role hydrogen fuel cells will play in powering the clean cars of the future.
Democrats in the state Legislature are debating how much money to give companies to build hydrogen fueling stations. A lobbying group for hydrogen supporters and suppliers, including Chevron, Shell and Toyota, is seeking a designated 30 percent share of money from the state Clean Transportation Program, amounting to $300 million over the next decade.
The program is funded by annual fees paid by California drivers — $2 car registration fees and $4 smog abatement fees. Over the last decade, hydrogen has been earmarked for 20 percent of its funds.
Photo: A driver adds hydrogen fuel to his vehicle at an Iwatani hydrogen fuel station in West Sacramento on July 25, 2023. (Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters)
Renee Stackhouse appointed to San Diego Superior Court bench
Renee Stackhouse, of San Diego County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Stackhouse has been a sole practitioner since 2016. She was an attorney and owner at Galente Ganci APC from 2011 to 2015. She was an associate at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP from 2008 to 2011 and a law clerk at Neil Dymott Frank McCabe & Hudson APLC in 2007.
Stackhouse earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey Bostwick.
Stackhouse is a Democrat. Her annual salary will be $232,399.
Mary Matava named Farm Bureau’s 2022 Farmer of the Year
San Diego County Farm Bureau has named Mary Matava of Oceanside as 2022 Farmer of the Year.
Matava has more than 40 years of experience assessing the agronomic suitability of Southern California soils and over 25 years of manufacturing organic soil amendments used by farmers throughout Southern California.
Matava’s professional experiences have contributed to her success in farming and the large impact she has had volunteering with a wide range of nonprofit organizations in agriculture.
Matava is an agronomist and the owner of Agri Service, which operates compost facilities in Southern California.
Matava is a leading expert in soil assessment, sustainable soil amendment practices, green waste recycling, facility management and avocado farming. To date Agri Service has processed over 2 million tons of green waste and continues to advocate for improving Zero-Waste practices.
UC San Diego Health nationally recognized for stroke and diabetes care
By Jeanna Vazquez | UC San Diego
UC San Diego Health has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for providing the highest quality of care to patients using research-based guidelines in the treatment of heart disease and stroke. The awards are part of the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines Achievement Awards.
Through the most advanced surgical, medical and endovascular care, our patients receive state-of-the-art treatment options with the latest processes and guidelines in place that result in more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer hospital readmissions,” said Thomas Hemmen, M.D., vascular neurologist and director of the Stroke Center at UC San Diego Health. “Our comprehensive stroke centers and certifications demonstrate that our hospital system provides the most services available when every second counts.”
BAE Systems awarded $37.7 million contract
for USS John P. Murtha modernization
BAE Systems’ San Diego Ship Repair was granted a contract worth $37.7 million by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command. This contract’s purpose is to support the maintenance, modernization, and repair of the USS John P. Murtha, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship serving in the United States Navy. The contract is scheduled for completion by September 2024, and there is potential for additional work, which could raise the cumulative value to $42.4 million.
Carlsbad-based Calsense adds AI to smart irrigation toolkit
The future of smart irrigation will soon see human expertise partnered with powerful artificial intelligence and machine learning to minimize water and labor waste and ensure our landscapes remain sustainably beautiful. That’s the message from a newly unveiled roadmap from smart irrigation industry leader Calsense, based in Carlsbad. The Calsense announcement provides a multi-phase vision for its irrigation technology over the coming years. The new initiative is designed to drive new levels of water and labor conservation.
CSUSM president signs Climate Leadership Commitment
Cal State San Marcos President Ellen Neufeldt pledged to take the next step in climate action by signing the Second Nature Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitment on Aug. 17. The signing was followed by a tree-planting ceremony in front of the University Bookstore as a symbol of the university’s dedication to sustainability efforts on campus. The document is a comprehensive roadmap for mitigating and adapting to a changing climate.
DataBank completes seven data center expansions
DataBank announced the completion of seven data center expansions in San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, Irvine, and Kansas City as well as two in Atlanta. Combined, these colocation facilities have added 15+ megawatts of power and 114,000 raised square feet of floor space during the past 12 months to their existing capacities. Each data center features advanced power designs and cooling systems for redundancy as well as modern dual-factor authentication for client access to the facilities.
Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals announces results of study
Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing innovative and differentiated therapies for immunological and inflammatory diseases, announced topline results from a Phase 1 study of IMG-007, an anti-OX40 monoclonal antibody. The key objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study was to assess the safety and pharmacokinetics of IMG-007 in healthy adults. A total of 30 participants received IMG-007, up to 600 mg, and 14 received placebo.
Richard Mark appointed to Sempra’s board of directors
Sempra has appointed Richard Mark to the company’s board of directors effective Aug. 21, 2023. Richard Mark is the former chairman and president of Ameren Illinois. He brings 20 years of experience in electric and gas utility operations, customer service, public policy and regulation, as well as broad knowledge and experience with advanced utility technologies and safety and reliability programs. Mark, 68, served as chairman and president of Ameren Illinois from 2012 to 2022.
Saphlux unveils full-color micro-LED display
Saphlux demonstrated an industry leading 0.39-inch full-color micro-LED display that will enable virtual reality and augmented reality manufacturers to create true outdoor-compatible brightness and high-resolution display systems with color rich image quality. This breakthrough innovation makes Saphlux the partner of choice for the light engine in AR applications.
Sanford Burnham Prebys scientists lead research on heart disease
Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers led a collaboration with colleagues from UC Davis and Johns Hopkins University to create a new detection method that pinpoints genes associated with atrial fibrillation, the most common age-related cardiac arrhythmia. Scientists on the project hope to use this method to effectively screen for drugs that can assist in restoring a heart to his normal rhythm and identify other cardiac diseases.
GKN Aerospace expands to new El Cajon facility
Anticipating growth in the maintenance repair and operations industry, global aero-engine parts repair company GKN Aerospace will expand into a 162,000-square-foot facility called Gillespie Field iPark, owned by the City of El Cajon. Headquartered in the UK, GKN has 1,000 employees in its current El Cajon facility and is set to add 200 jobs by the end of 2025.
FDA approves Neurocrine Biosciences’ INGREZZA capsules
Neurocrine Biosciences announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved INGREZZA capsules for the treatment of adults with chorea associated with Huntington’s disease. INGREZZA is the only selective vesicular monoamine transporter inhibitor that offers an effective starting dosage that can be adjusted by a patient’s health care provider based on response and tolerability, with no complex titration. Only INGREZZA offers simple dosing that is always one capsule, once daily.
