Canadian data center firm Beacon is targeting a large behind-the-meter campus outside Bakersfield in California.Beacon Data Centers this week announced plans for the Golden Valley Technology Hub, a new 275MW data center development on the Elk Hills Oil Field in Kern County, being developed in partnership with California Resources Corporation (CRC).The companies aim to develop 400,000 sq ft (37,161 sqm) of data center space on a 100-acre site, as well as an on-site substation. The facility will use a closed-loop liquid cooling system. Timelines for construction haven’t been shared.It will be powered by CRC’s existing Elk Hills Power Plant, but use existing utility grid connections as a backup power source if required – as well as fifteen 2.5MW diesel generators for additional backup.“Located within the Elk Hills Oil Field, the project is designed to pair next-generation computing infrastructure with dedicated power from CRC's existing facilities and advanced closed-loop cooling technology that significantly reduces water use,” Beacon said.The CRC-owned Elk Hills Field is located around 20 miles west of Bakersfield in Kern County. One of the largest oil fields in the US, the 75-square-mile site was discovered back in 1911 and has produced more than 2 billion barrels of oil in its time. CRC, a spin-off of Occidental Petroleum, acquired the site in 2018.CRC also operates Elk Hills Power Plant, a 550MW natural gas power plant located adjacent to the Elk Hills natural gas processing facility that launched in 2003.Investment firm Nadia Partners quietly launched Beacon AI Centers (also known as Beacon Data Centers) in March 2023.Beacon claims its portfolio includes more than ten campuses in development representing 6GW of planned capacity, with projects planned in Alberta (x6) and New Brunswick, Canada; Texas; Kern County, California; Calvert, Alabama; and Ohio.California Resources Corporation is an oil and gas firm, operating some 68 oil fields and 22,000 wells. Previously describing itself as the largest oil and natural gas exploration and production company in California, the firm aims to support carbon capture solutions at its oil fields.The company first outlined plans to “evaluate potential data center sites and power needs” last year, telling investors it was focused on finding data center customers to offtake from the Elk Hills power plant.CRC CEO Francisco Leon previously mentioned working with an unnamed “leading data center developer” in a March earnings call with analysts. He also spoke about the potential for the company to host up to 2GW of data center capacity.