Kelsey White, Utah State University
Economics and Finance
California is endowed with some of the United States’ most beautiful natural landscapes. It also lies atop significant energy resources. While preserving natural amenities and developing energy are sometimes considered mutually exclusive endeavors, the reality is that most counties throughout California have developed both of these rich resources. While the ratios between amenities and energy differ, almost all counties with available opportunities have developed both to some extent. This paper compares and contrasts the balance between energy and amenities in three California counties. Monterey County is economically focused on agriculture and amenities, but has a strong potential for developing its shale resources, and some extraction has already begun. Ventura County also boasts plentiful natural amenities, but engages in significant oil production, particularly offshore production. Kern County is economically dependent upon oil extraction, but still maintains an active amenity sector. The fact that all of these counties have opted for a mixed economic portfolio balancing energy and recreation demonstrates that the two activities are not mutually exclusive, but rather that counties already opt for some mixture of the two. The three counties are compared on several key economic indicators such as per capita income and unemployment by using compiled US Census Bureau data. Counties with a mixed economic portfolio enjoy higher economic outcomes than those counties that focus more exclusively on either natural amenities or energy extraction.