San Bernardino’s County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to prohibit construction of large renewable energy projects in certain private areas.

The ban was approved with a 4-1 vote.

The decision comes as many local residents urged the county supervisors to approve the restrictions, suggesting smaller solar installations on parking lots and rooftops instead of large-scaled solar and wind farms. Developers argued that solar projects could benefit the economy by creating jobs and tax revenues.

So how has solar energy evolved in California? And what are some of the challenges solar energy faces today? We discuss the San Bernardino decision and what it means for the state of solar energy in California.

Guests: 

Robert Lovingood, San Bernardino Supervisor representing the District 1, which covers the high desert area from the top of the Cajon Pass to the Nevada and Arizona state lines; he tweets @RobertLovingood

Tim Mason, policy director, Large Scale Solar Association, an industry trade association based in Sacramento

Lucas Davis, energy economist; business and technology professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley