Two bills that would change Utah’s energy policy are awaiting Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature after passing early in the legislative session.
House Bill 191 is meant to ensure Utah will have new energy infrastructure online and ready to power the state before tearing down any existing energy infrastructure like coal power plants.
Opponents of the bill have said it places undue restrictions on planning commissions looking to shift to renewable energy sources.
House Bill 374 would streamline Utah’s energy laws and clarify some legal gray areas. Opponents, however, have said it creates a legislative checklist that puts clean energy at the bottom of the priority list.
Another bill on energy that has made its way through Utah’s legislature, Senate Bill 224, would create incentives to keep coal power plants online.
Senate Bill 224, Energy Independence Amendments, from Sen. Scott Sandall of Tremonton passed the state House of Representatives and Senate this past Friday, the last day of the 2024 Legislative session.
If signed by Gov. Cox, the bill would create a pathway for Rocky Mountain Power to pass the costs of the coal plants on to consumers to keep coal plants running even if they become more expensive than other forms of energy generation. Those costs could include maintenance, fueling and even legal fees.
Sandall said the bill is necessary to keep dispatchable energy that can be called upon at any time available to the state.
Dispatchable energy includes power sources like coal and natural gas that work on-demand any time of the day and under any weather condition. Some renewable sources like wind and solar power are not dispatchable since they require certain conditions to produce energy.
Utah Clean Energy, an opponent of the bill, said this bill would delay a move toward clean energy sources and result in less affordable energy in the future.
