Dive Brief:
- Rocky Mountain Power revealed an ambitious new energy plan this week aimed at modernizing its operations, reducing emissions, incorporating more clean energy sources and giving a boost to the Utah economy, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
- The Utah Sustainable Transportation and Energy Plan (STEP) includes economic incentives for clean energy, plans for a zero-emissions community, support for electric vehicles and increased funding for energy efficiency.
- But the plan has skeptics who believe Rocky Mountain Power's plan would penalize those using less energy, and who argue that continued investment in clean coal is simply a bad idea.
Dive Insight:
Rocky Mountain Power's clean energy plan was revealed this week, but the utility will need a pair of concessions from state lawmakers to pull it off. According to the The Salt Lake Tribune, RMP will need to ask legislators to approve a lower power rate to attract expanding companies to Utah. The utility also wants to decouple rates and split residential bills to include a charge for energy use as well as grid maintenance.
“The electric industry is changing at a rapid pace and Rocky Mountain Power wants to lead with significant changes that will improve our air and add to Utah’s robust economy,” RMP President and CEO Cindy Crane said in a statement. “With the help of many partners we can bring all of these benefits with minimal additional costs to our customers.”
Among the plans goals:
- Establish a voluntary approach to address emissions from power plants in north central Utah
- Provide incentives for electric vehicles and infrastructure
- Create incentives for utility investments in energy efficiency measures that deliver energy savings
- Make investments in clean coal research at Utah power plants to help them meet carbon mandates and remain online
The Sierra Club issued a statement, revealing both hope and skepticism for the plan.
“While we are still gathering information on RMP’s proposal, today’s announcement signals hope to Utahns across the state that RMP may truly begin to lead on clean energy and improving air quality throughout Utah," said Bill Corcoran, Western Regional Director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.
"Whether it’s fighting to keep dirty coal plants running or attacking rooftop solar and energy choice, RMP has a long history of undermining the very goals they announced today," he added. "Today's announcement, for example, includes yet another proposal from RMP that would penalize customers who conserve energy and want the flexibility to make their own energy choices."
Green advocate HEAL Utah told the Tribune the grid charge on all customers was unfair because it could not differentiate who uses the utility’s infrastructure more.
HEAL Utah director Matt Pacenza told the newspaper, "It's not unreasonable in any way for people who use a service more to pay more for the infrastructure. ... The best parallel is highways. We don't charge all drivers a base infrastructure charge, regardless of how much they drive."
