Utah Communities Form Coalition to Drive Local Renewable Energy, Defying Federal Shifts
A coalition of 19 Utah communities, including major cities like Salt Lake City and Park City alongside smaller towns like Coalville, Moab, Springdale, and Castle Valley, has formally launched Utah Renewable Communities to secure a clean energy future.
A Bold Move for Clean Power
The goal is ambitious: generate enough clean electricity through solar and wind projects to offset the power used in nearly 300,000 homes and businesses.
The program received official approval from Utah's Public Service Commission in 2025. Participating communities have until June 2, 2025, to pass local ordinances confirming their involvement.
How It Works for Residents
- Enrollment: Regional utility Rocky Mountain Power (a division of PacifiCorp) will automatically enroll all homes in participating communities.
- Fees: A $4 monthly fee will be added to residents' electric bills starting in 2026.
- Equity & Choice: Low-income residents can have the fee covered, and any customer may opt out of the program.
- Timeline: The first clean energy project is expected to be announced in summer 2025, with power generation beginning by 2030.
A Legacy of Coal Meets a New Vision
Utah currently generates roughly 78% of its electricity from coal and natural gas, with only 22% from renewables. This coalition marks a significant shift, especially for towns like Coalville in Summit County—a historic coal community. The effort was enabled by a 2019 state law, championed by Republican state representative Steve Handy, which allowed community-utility collaboration on renewable energy.
Voices Behind the Initiative
"This effort demonstrates that local climate strategies can continue regardless of federal administration changes."
— Emily Quinton, sustainability director of Summit County and coalition board secretary
Steve Handy, the former state representative, noted that rising electricity demand from data centers, AI, and electric vehicles, combined with the fact that coal power is now one of the more expensive options, makes adding renewable sources necessary.
Luke Cartin, director of lands and sustainability for Park City, emphasized that the community was eager to take concrete climate action. He added that the program provides a model that could be replicated in other states.
Pamela Gibson, a town council member from Castle Valley (population 347), said residents want to protect their home, despite not considering themselves radical environmentalists.
"Small-scale programs like Utah's can build momentum and demonstrate cost-effectiveness."
— Severin Borenstein, faculty director of UC Berkeley's Energy Institute
Navigating a Shifting Federal Landscape
The coalition's formation comes at a time of significant federal turbulence for renewables:
- President Trump's second-term executive orders have targeted renewable power, aiming to revive the coal industry and halt new solar and wind development.
- The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act undid parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that provided tax incentives for wind and solar.
- In response, PacifiCorp has rolled back its plans to build new renewable energy resources.
Despite these headwinds, the Utah coalition is pushing forward. David Eskelsen, a PacifiCorp spokesperson, noted that the new federal legislation altered the company's economic modeling, changing the least-cost portfolio of resource types.
The Urgency of Action
Utah experienced its warmest winter on record in 2024-2025, and early spring heat waves in 2025 were attributed by researchers to human-caused climate change. This coalition represents a tangible local response to a global challenge.