Following the increase in fuel costs throughout the United States, there have been several national discussions focusing on oil, gas taxes, and renewable energy sources. Several Utah leaders have taken part in the discussions to help try and lower prices throughout the state.
Thom Carter, Gov. Spencer Cox’s energy advisor and Executive Director for the Utah Office of Energy Development, says that the state believes that independence with American energy could lead to lower gas prices. To combat against the high gas prices that have been emptying the wallets of most Utahns, Carter says he and Gov. Cox want to work with the federal government to try and establish American energy independence.
According to Carter, if Utah were to make more oil, the market could stabilize and costs would decrease as gas prices follow the concept of supply and demand. When asked about Utah drivers switching to electric and hybrid vehicles, Carter doesn’t think it’s an ideal option until more people want to purchase electric vehicles and the state invests further in proper infrastructure, such as charging stations, for those types of vehicles.
Many options have been discussed throughout Utah leaders with many proposing for the state to pause the gas tax, something that Utah has increased every year for the past five years, and others hoping for President Joe Biden to roll back restrictions on drilling for federal land. But as of now, no solution has been found.
Carter says that officials are looking at every possible option to try and reduce fuel costs.
