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$2.9 billion boost: New energy project set to transform Imperial Valley economy
IMPERIAL COUNTY — A massive renewable energy campus is poised to pump billions into the Imperial Valley, according to a new independent study released Tuesday. California Ethanol & Power, LLC (CE+P) announced that its flagship Sugar Valley Energy project is projected to generate more than $2.9 billion in total economic output during its construction and initial year of operation. The analysis, conducted by Circle Analytics, Inc., suggests the project will be a significant catalyst for one of California’s most vital agricultural regions.
Back The Sugar Valley Test: Is the 2026 Farm Bill Built for Steel — or Just Paper?
In the Imperial Valley, the wind carries two kinds of dust. One is literal — sun-scorched soil lifting off 48,000 acres of irrigated farmland near Brawley, California. The other is political — immigration headlines, ICE raids, unemployment charts, and the lingering ache left behind when the Spreckels sugar plant shuttered in 2025. What left with that plant wasn’t just sugar. It was industrial gravity. Now comes a $1.28 billion attempt to reverse that pull. California Ethanol + Power’s Sugar Valley Energy project — 160 acres of integrated biorefinery ambition — wants to turn sugarcane into 73 million gallons of low-carbon ethanol, 771 million cubic feet of renewable natural gas, and 41 megawatts of renewable electricity every year.
MILESTONE ACHIEVED: BLACK & VEATCH COMPLETES INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING REPORT FOR SUGAR VALLEY ENERGY
Completion of the report represents a major milestone in Sugar Valley Energy’s path to construction—providing third-party validation of the project’s design, cost, schedule, technology and overall readiness for financing. Once operational, the integrated biorefinery campus in Brawley, California, will produce more than 73 million gallons of low-carbon ethanol, 771 million standard cubic feet of renewable natural gas (RNG) and 41 megawatts of renewable electricity each year from sugarcane that is sustainably grown in the county.
Sugar Valley Energy awarded California Jobs First Grant
Imperial Valley Press IMPERIAL COUNTY — California Ethanol + Power (CE+P) and the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation (IVEDC) announced that the planned renewable fuel and energy campus Sugar Valley Energy (SVE) has been selected to receive a Jobs First Grant through the Southern Border Jobs First Collaborative. The award represents a significant milestone for the project and for Imperial County, one of California’s most economically challenged regions.
Sugar Valley Energy, in partnership with IVEDC, awarded California Jobs First Grant through the Southern Border Coalition
The Jobs First Grant will support critical activities, including geotechnical engineering, foundation design, agricultural preparation, and procurement of key components for SVE’s integrated clean-energy system. These steps are essential to advancing construction readiness and securing full project financing for the $1.28 billion renewable infrastructure development, which will create 250 direct full-time living wage jobs and 15,000 jobs from planning through construction and plant start-up. The project will work in tandem with Imperial Valley College and the Imperial County Workforce Development Office to maximize local training and hiring opportunities.
Sugar Valley Energy, in Partnership with IVEDC, Awarded California Jobs First Grant through the Southern Border Coalition
IMPERIAL COUNTY, CALIF. — Dec. 11, 2025 — California Ethanol + Power (CE+P) and the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation (IVEDC) announced today that the planned renewable fuel and energy campus Sugar Valley Energy (SVE) has been selected to receive a Jobs First Grant through the Southern Border Jobs First Collaborative. The award represents a significant milestone for the project and for Imperial County, one of California’s most economically challenged regions.
Sugar Valley Energy selected for Jobs First Grant in Imperial County
The award represents a significant milestone for the project and for Imperial County, one of California’s most economically challenged regions, according to a CE+P press release.
Sugar factory closure ripples throughout California town: "A gaping wound"
More than 1 million American workers have been laid off this year -- several hundred of them in Brawley, California. Mark Strassmann traveled there to examine the ripple effects of those layoffs on the local economy.
California Ethanol + Power and Hoffman Construction Company Commit to a Target Price EPC Contract for Imperial County Project
Imperial County, CA – September 24, 2025 – California Ethanol + Power announced today a Target Price Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract with Hoffman Construction Company of California valued in excess of $900 million to design and construct Sugar Valley Energy, a new ethanol biorefinery campus near the city of Brawley in Imperial County.
A Spoonful of Sugar
In the sprawling agricultural valley of Imperial County, California, Dave Rubenstein believes he has found a solution to one of sustainable aviation fuel’s (SAF) most pressing challenges: securing reliable, low-carbon feedstock at scale derived from sugarcane.