Renewable Energy Challenges and Opportunities: Geospatial and Qualitative Analysis of Southern California Monica Perry, James Pick, and Jessica Rosales School of Business, University of Redlands, 1200 E. Colton Ave . P.O. Box 3080, Redlands, California 92373-0999 USA Contact author: Monica Perry, Monica_Perry@Redlands.Edu Abstract. Renewable energy has become an increasingly important and viable approach for mitigating the negative impacts of generating electrical energy with fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. In our study of renewable energy we conducted geospatial analysis of an array of demographic characteristics and renewable energy facilities (manufacturers, installations) for wind and solar energy. The analysis focused on Southern California, but also included two benchmark urban regions in other states, Maryland and Texas with well-developed solar and wind sectors, respectively. Qualitative data on renewable energy was also collected through personal interviews to supplement our geospatial analysis. Implications for sustainability are drawn by identifying key aspects of renewable energy development in Southern California. Keywords: Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Eco- innovation, geospatial analysis 1 Introduction Global climate change continues to be a fundamental and critical issue for both developing and developed countries. The United Nations’ Convention Framework on Climate Change is a global collaboration which illustrates the significance of climate change, as well as the widespread commitment to reducing and minimizing the negative aspects of climate change [1]. Towards that end, greenhouse gases represent the primary cause of negative climate change, with fossil fuel activities associated with electricity generation being the primary cause of increased greenhouse gases in the United States as well as around the world [2]. A wide array of alternative energy sources exists for fossil and nuclear fuels, the most significant being renewable energy sources. Renewable energy represents an increasingly important and viable approach for reducing the negative environmental impacts of generating electrical energy with fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. The most important renewable energy sources in Southern California are solar, wind and geothermal energy sources. The relative abundance of wind, solar and geothermal energy sources varies across different geographic regions, thus laying the foundation for differential potential for these forms of renewable energy generation. As part of an in-depth research project on renewable energy development and manufacturing potential in Southern California, we conducted a multi-method study utilizing geospatial analysis. The geospatial analysis was supplemented primarily with qualitative analysis through personal interviews.