Kern County Chapter NECA

Located in sunny Southern California, Kern County is geographically the third largest county in the entire state.  The geographical area is full of diversity throughout its 8,161 square miles including the portions of the Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi & Coast Range Mountains, the Mojave Desert, a portion of Antelope Valley and Indian Wells Valley, Edwards Air Force Base, China Lake Naval Base and the Kern Canyon with vast lands in between full of agriculture, mineral wealth and oil and multiple forms power producers.  As of 2016, Kern County contains nearly 25% of California’s in state renewable energy production including solar and wind power.  Bakersfield is the largest metropolitan area of the county and Kern County is one of the fastest growing population areas in the US at this time with endless potential for the electrical industry.

As of 2015, Kern County is California’s top oil producing county with 78% of the states active oil wells and 71% of the entire state’s oil production. Home of the largest recorded oil strike in US History in 1910, Kern County continues to house multiple oil fields and thus the electrical undertakings that go along with this.  Due to this, we are one of the only chapters throughout the nation that has separate oilfield agreements with the IBEW Local 428 to better assist and continue the growth of the electrical field in the oil industry.

Solar fields and the energy that is produced from this are important in the world of the electrical industry as well.  As of 2020, Kern County will host the state’s largest solar field at Belridge Oilfield.  Some of the world renown technologies associated with solar energy, that are used around the world were actually developed and tested in Kern County.  This is why we believe it is important to represent the electrical industry through the solar work section of electrical contractors work and continue the growth of this sector in our Kern County community and beyond. 

As the Kern County Chapter of NECA, we are dedicated to the promotion and representation of the electrical industry throughout this region and also worldwide. Since the founding of the chapter on September 5, 1958, NECA has strived to represents, promote and advances the interests of the electrical contracting industry, help contractors reach high potentials in their businesses and represent the Kern County community that gives us the opportunity to serve it.

Our membership consists of all sized electrical contractors that perform work in many markets including: commercial, industrial, residential, municipal, maintenance, substation, power system constructions, telecommunications, low voltage, oil field, and solar throughout the public, private and government sectors. Member contractors’ expertise range from high-voltage power transmission and distribution, to energy efficiency and power quality, to outstanding oilfield work, to integrated building systems solutions for institutional, industrial, school, residential, and commercial facilities.

Through our Meet Our Members Section, you can learn about each of these companies and what sections of the electrical industry they serve at an exceptional level of service, innovation and leadership. NECA members actively participate in shaping the marketplace to enhance the quality of work performed by setting industry standards of excellence, developing innovative solutions to meet existing and emerging customer needs, improve customer satisfaction by using practical applications of new technologies and exceptional intrapersonal business relationships and promote job safety. While bettering the industry individually, they are backed by the multitude of resources, research and support of NECA, the industry leader and the team aspect that we are at Kern County NECA.  See our Why Join NECA Section to learn more about being part of this team.  

Our Chapter’s goal is to assist the NECA chapter members and their companies to become the strongest, most profitable businesses that they can be in today’s world as well as in the future.  NECA promotes networking among members in Kern County, throughout California and nationwide.  This is encouraged through annual summer district meetings and fall national conventions, regular membership meetings, and occasional social functions. Members are able to build relationships, personal and professional, as well as build knowledge sources and critical thinking partnerships through their NECA peers as well as other industry leaders including NECAs premier partners. Listed below are some of the services that are provided to NECA member: 

• Opportunities for industry leading continuing education as well as research to help uncover potentials for increasing business ever changing technology of our industry and new products and services that could better their businesses. 
• Representation and a voice of our local and nation interests in laws and regulations before legislative assemblies, governmental agencies, and others government affairs for working safely and profitably for the betterment of the industry and individual companies alike.
• To promote agreeable labor management relations through harmonious labor-management partnership and deliver resources and representation for the orderly settlement of labor disputes.
• To offer options and industry leading information and assistance in training efforts, worker safety, development of codes and standards as well as community outreach.
• To promote comprehensive business management practices and economic conditions. 
• To meet the manpower needs of our industry with highly trained apprentices and journeymen through our partnership with the IBEW and our apprentice school. 
• To influence the standards and codes affecting our industry and insure their continued assurance of high quality and safe installations for our customers.
• NECA is dedicated to enhancing the industry through innovative research, performance standards, progressive labor relations, and workforce recruiting and training.
• NECA offers the most comprehensive educational opportunities of any electrical association, as well as the industry’s premiere trade show and management training. 
• NECA is dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of the electrical industry.

The Chapter also works closely with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union #428. Chapter members sit on many joint IBEW/NECA committees such as: Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, the areas health and welfare fund and the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). The IBEW and NECA work in cooperation to provide the best possible product for the consumers in the electrical industry.

As one of the 118 chapters nationwide of NECA, we take pride in the representation of our Kern County area as well as the top-notch contractors that we represent and work with daily to continue to improve and better the electrical industry, union electrical market share and the world for this generation and the ones that follow in our footsteps. 

Kern County Chapter NECA
4015 Coffee Road, Suite 210
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Tel. (661) 325-5937

Cody Brooks
Executive Director
Email: cbrooks@kccneca.com