grove

State Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, rails in the Senate against a bill that would lower how much money Kern County generates by hosting the majority of California's large-scale solar development.

A bill pending in Sacramento has revived one of Kern County's biggest complaints about being California's leading producer of large-scale solar energy.

Senate Bill 1329 by state Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, would change state rules on how solar projects are assessed when calculating their owners' property tax bills. The effect would be to lower how much money the companies pay counties like Kern to help fund public services.