Why are Utahns paying for Rocky Mountain Power to stay with coal?
Photo above shows the Castle Gate Power Plant, one of the dirtiest in the country, which closed in 2015 as a result of tighter federal standards. Photo from Flickr
We were outraged with our fellow Utahns when we saw that Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) was planning on raising rates throughout the state to cover rising fossil fuel costs. RMP was proposing a 30% rate increase.
Thanks to your help sending in comments and public outrage, the proposed rate increases being proposed are now 18%. While that’s a step in the right direction, it doesn’t come close to the adjustments both RMP and the Utah legislature need to enact to better life for Utahns. Renewables are increasingly more affordable, not only financially, but for long term climate and air quality health.
Utah residents should not be on the hook for the power company’s delay in shifting to renewable energy. Earlier in 2024, Rocky Mountain Power backtracked on its commitment for early retirement of coal-fired power plants in Utah. Initially, the company had proposed retiring Emery County’s Hunter and Huntington power plants by 2032, aiming to transition towards cleaner energy sources. However, citing regulatory developments and financial challenges, Rocky Mountain Power announced that it would adhere to the original retirement dates of 2036 and 2042.
Coal-fired power plants are major sources of carbon emissions, contributing to climate change and air pollution, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In fact, their Utah plants are two of the dirtiest in the entire country. By switching to renewables like wind and solar, Utah can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and protect the health of its residents while also promoting a sustainable energy future.
A recent op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, written by UPHE member Malin Moench, highlighted the financial cost of staying with coal, “Most of us realize that burning fossil fuels to produce electricity causes far more harm to human health and the environment than using wind and solar. However, few realize that coal-based electricity is much more expensive than electricity generated by renewables. Simply running an existing coal-fired plant now costs more than building and operating a nearby solar farm of equal capacity. The premium that utilities now pay to use coal rather than renewables averages 30% nationally, but is 50% for RMP’s Utah coal plants, according to national plant-specific cost data compiled in a recent study.”
Last year, the possibility arose that Utahns could be forced to shoulder the multi-billion dollar costs associated with Oregon’s 2020 wildfires, for which PacifiCorp was found liable. Putting Utah taxpayers on the hook for this bill is both unjust and alarming.