Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/ae7e96

Publication Title

Environmental Research Letters

Volume

21

Issue

13

Pages

134008

Abstract

This paper examines how agricultural productivity patterns in Kern County, California, a leading region for both agricultural production and oil and gas development, co-vary with the spatial and temporal expansion of hydraulic fracturing and associated energy infrastructure. Using parcel- and county-level analyses, we characterize how agricultural productivity differs across proximity to energy development and across spatial scales. The results reveal spatially heterogeneous and scale-dependent patterns: parcel-level evidence indicates lower Enhanced Vegetation Index-based vegetation productivity within the 20-mile proximity zone around fracking wells, while county-level results show heterogeneous crop-specific yield changes during the post-expansion period. Together, these findings highlight the importance of assessing energy-agriculture interactions at multiple spatial scales and underscore the importance for spatially targeted monitoring and policy approaches that account for both localized vulnerabilities and system-level adjustment.

Comments

Data availability statement: Article states: "All data that support the findings of this study are included within the article (and any supplementary files)."

Original Publication Citation

Siu, W. Y., & Akhundjanov, S. B. (2026). Agricultural productivity under energy development: Insights from California. Environmental Research Letters, 21(13), Article 134008. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae7e96

ORCID

0000-0003-2001-5317 (Siu)

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