To: Representative Greg Hughes, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives and Senator Wayne Niederhauser, President of the Utah Senate
Utah Needs Clean Energy
In 2008 Utah established a goal for 20% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025. Rocky Mountain Power, the state's biggest utility, is dragging its feet and proposes the equivalent of only ONE windmill of renewable energy between now and 2025. We need a guaranteed standard of 20% renewables by 2025.
Why is this important?
In 2008 the Utah Legislature established a vision to promote clean energy jobs, improve air quality and protect Utahns from dangerous climate change with a Clean Energy Goal of 20% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025. Senate Bill 202 passed both houses without a single no vote.
Rocky Mountain Power/ PacifiCorp (RMP) will shortly propose a long-term plan for electricity supply during the period from 2015 through 2025 that will likely include no significant utility investment in geothermal, hydropower, solar or wind power generation facilities in Utah.
Despite strong support from Utahns and record low prices for installed solar and wind power, RMP plans to sell electricity in Utah of which less than 3% derives from non-polluting, renewable sources.
Utah has tremendous solar and wind potential that RMP is mostly ignoring. Utah is one of the sunniest states in our nation yet ranks 26th in adoption of solar power (0.2% of total generation). Utah has abundant land and rooftops where solar photo-voltaic power can be produced. A commitment to embrace these resources would have a profound positive gain for Utah's economy, by creating new jobs and diverse industries that will be here for the long haul.
We therefore urge the Utah Legislature to upgrade the 2008 bill that was aspirational but has still not produced a change in how power is generated. We would like to see a Clean Energy Standard that requires a minimum of 20% of Utah’s electric power coming from in-state renewables by 2025.
(For more information about RMP's long-term plan, check out https://www.rockymountainpower.net/about/irp.html)
Rocky Mountain Power/ PacifiCorp (RMP) will shortly propose a long-term plan for electricity supply during the period from 2015 through 2025 that will likely include no significant utility investment in geothermal, hydropower, solar or wind power generation facilities in Utah.
Despite strong support from Utahns and record low prices for installed solar and wind power, RMP plans to sell electricity in Utah of which less than 3% derives from non-polluting, renewable sources.
Utah has tremendous solar and wind potential that RMP is mostly ignoring. Utah is one of the sunniest states in our nation yet ranks 26th in adoption of solar power (0.2% of total generation). Utah has abundant land and rooftops where solar photo-voltaic power can be produced. A commitment to embrace these resources would have a profound positive gain for Utah's economy, by creating new jobs and diverse industries that will be here for the long haul.
We therefore urge the Utah Legislature to upgrade the 2008 bill that was aspirational but has still not produced a change in how power is generated. We would like to see a Clean Energy Standard that requires a minimum of 20% of Utah’s electric power coming from in-state renewables by 2025.
(For more information about RMP's long-term plan, check out https://www.rockymountainpower.net/about/irp.html)