Tim Vandenack covers immigration, multicultural issues and Northern Utah for KSL. He worked several years for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden and has lived and reported in Mexico, Chile and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah regulators have given the green light to a new program in the works for seven years that's meant to promote increased use of renewable energy sources to power the state.The Utah Renewable Communities initiative, rooted in legislation passed by Utah lawmakers in 2019, HB411, calls for the participation of as many as 19 Utah communities in a partnership with Rocky Mountain Power to promote renewable energy.
Under the plan, residential Rocky Mountain Power users from the communities that ultimately opt to take part in the initiative would pay an extra $4 a month on their power bills to fund the effort.The program "creates a new pathway for residents and businesses to support clean energy in our own communities," said Randy Aton, member of the Springdale Town Council in Washington County, one of the 19 communities involved in the effort. "It balances Springdale's sustainability goals with long-term energy needs while making clean energy accessible to more Utahns."Other communities preliminarily involved include Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Moab, Park City and Ogden, among others. However, the list of communities to actually take part in the initiative has yet to be finalized. The Utah Public Service Commission on March 4 approved Rocky Mountain Power's application to create the Utah Community Clean Energy Program, operated under the umbrella of Utah Renewable Communities.Now it will be up to elected leaders in the 19 communities to adopt ordinances by June 2 formalizing their intent to take part.Some environmental advocacy groups have launched efforts to encourage passage of the required ordinances, according to Glade Sowards, "and, as always, residents and business owners can contribute their own perspectives on the program to their elected officials as they deliberate on their decisions." Sowards is the senior energy and climate program manager in the Salt Lake City Sustainability Department and a point person in the city for the program.While residential customers who decide to take part would pay $4 a month more on their power bills, nonresidential users who take part would pay an extra monthly rate based on energy used plus 12 cents."Initially, those funds will be used to build up reserve accounts to ensure that ample funding is available throughout the contract life of these projects, after which funds will be used to directly administer the program and build out new resources," Sowards s
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