Renewable energy is growing in Utah, but not without obstacles

SALT LAKE CITY — The use of solar energy is increasing in the United States, and Utah is no exception.

Utah generated more energy from solar than any other type of energy in May, according to data released by Ember.

Utah's ideal conditions for solar generation, available land for energy and transmission projects, and rich mineral deposits have led to recent expansion of the renewable energy industry throughout the state.

"Federally, people are taking notice of what we do in Utah," Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, said while meeting with industry leaders and community stakeholders at the Horseshoe Solar Farm on Monday.

Maloy said the increased solar energy use is part of Utah's "all-of-the-above" energy approach, which is focused on expanding resources in multiple energy production avenues.

"The days of saying 'this or this' are behind us," Maloy said. "It's going to have to be 'and' from here on out. We need nuclear and solar and hydro and whatever else comes along."

Implementing an "all-of-the-above" approach will benefit consumers statewide, Maloy said, but it faces a big hurdle that complicates implementation: getting supportive legislation through Congress.

The growth of renewable energy faces competition from traditional sources

Maloy said implementing energy reform is a bipartisan issue among the American people.

"This is one of the things that the American public has been very clear that they want," Maloy said. "Everybody agrees it needs to be done."

However, while the use of renewable energy in Utah grows, it faces competition with gas and coal energy production, which both maintain terawatt generation just slightly below solar energy.

The competition is heightened by recent changes to renewable energy subsidies under the Trump administration that scaled back federal support for the renewable energy industry.

In turn, the administration has provided support for the gas, oil and coal industries, including approving thousands of new oil drilling permits, committing federal funds to support the coal industry, and opening hundreds of millions of acres of land for gas, oil and coal production.

The lack of similar incentives and subsidies for renewable energy sources creates an uphill battle for renewable sources to compete in the modern energy industry.

Liz Peyton, head of project development at Desri, a major U.S. renewable energy company, said that in order for the renewable industry to thrive, it needs support equal to that given to the oil and gas industries.

"The only thing the renewables industry asks is that if there are subsidies being given to other types of generators, that something similar be extended to wind and solar so that there's not a thumb on the scale for some generators rather than others," Peyton said.

Maloy said several bills to support energy reform have been passed in the Natural Resources Committee, on which she serves, and in the House of Representatives. Additionally, Maloy said the committee's chairman, Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, "has really tried to play it down the middle on this so that we can have bipartisan support on permitting reform."

Though some legislation on the issue has been passed through the House, it needs to gather support in the Senate before it can be signed into law.

"All the bills we've passed out of the House are sitting in the Senate," Maloy said. "We need the Senate to get things moving as well."

Permitting energy reform is "not a one-bill solution," Maloy added, and several supportive measures are needed to "give the energy investors the certainty they need to put dollars where, you know, we're putting policy."

"All the policy in the world doesn't do any good if investors don't want to show up," Maloy continued. "If people don't want to put dollars toward it, then, you know, we're sitting here patting ourselves on the back, but nothing's changed."

Energy reform could boost the Utah economy

Maloy is not the only Utah politician pushing for an expansion in renewable energy. Gov. Spencer Cox has also been calling for energy expansion through Operation Gigawatt, an initiative with the goal of doubling Utah's energy-generating capacity within the next 10 years.

"Operation Gigawatt is critical to preserving our quality of life and ensuring strong economic growth," Cox said in a press release announcing the initiative, which noted the economic growth that would be made possible by energy expansion.

The renewable energy sector creates three times as many jobs as the fossil fuel industry for every dollar invested, according to a report released by the United Nations. This job creation is particularly beneficial in rural areas by bringing in business that "creates some jobs and keeps some families anchored" in rural areas, Maloy said.

Peyton noted that while solar energy "is a big capital investment," the operation costs do not include fuel. Because of that, solar energy means "you're not taking any risk on volatility of whatever's going on internationally, impacts gas prices, impacts oil prices," Peyton explained. "So we have that benefit."

Renewable energy is the most affordable source of power in most of the world, the United Nations reports, and as prices continue to fall, renewable energy sources could become increasingly cost-effective.

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