Utah, Wyoming can benefit on the renewable energy stage

Utah and Wyoming could benefit greatly in jobs, ratepayer benefits and environmental well-being if the two states pushed back on the proposals of new resource planning so PacifiCorp could embrace renewable energy in favor of fossil fuels.

A report commissioned by the Sierra Club looked at impacts of the two states they say could save money if PacifiCorp ramped up their pursuit of renewable energy instead of hanging onto coal-fired power plants and natural gas.

On Wednesday, the Sierra Club, in partnership with Current Energy Group, published a new report, Utah and Wyoming: Economic Opportunities in PacifiCorp’s Renewable Energy Transition, that provides a detailed analysis of how investments in renewable energy could create thousands of long-term, good paying jobs while boosting economic activity and generating critical tax revenue for communities in both states.

The report comes as PacifiCorp, the region’s largest electric utility, has admittedly dialed back on clean energy investments and delaying coal plant closures until their end of life instead of accelerated retirement unless based on regulatory mandates, they say.

Instead, the plan is hyper focused on the completion of high voltage lines that serve multiple states and investing in improving the grid.

The plan, however, under review by utility regulators, emphasizes:

• 6,379 megawatts of new wind resources.
• 7,668 megawatts of storage resources, including four-hour, eight-hour, and 100-hour durations.
• 5,492 megawatts of new solar resources.
• 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear via the NatriumTM reactor demonstration project.

Dave Eskelsen, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power and PacifiCorp said the draft 2025 plan is a roadmap for continual progress in providing “safe, reliable electric service at fair and reasonable prices” to over two million customers in six Western states, half of which are in Utah.

“The conclusions in the (plan) are driven in large measure by PacifiCorp’s obligation to implement the energy policies of the states we serve. The exhaustive analysis conducted by the year-long public process includes analysis of costs to customers, as well as an evaluation of system reliability to support our responsibility to provide an essential public service,” he said. “The plan is focused on the least-cost, least-risk portfolio of resource types that are in the best interests of customers.”

The draft plan is just that. The final plan is due March 31 with state utility commissions.

Yet, critics assert at the same time, recent legislative efforts in Utah and Wyoming have continued to favor fossil fuels, prioritizing what they say are outdated energy sources over the clear economic benefits of renewable energy.

“PacifiCorp has long prioritized outdated, costly coal plants over clean energy solutions, despite overwhelming evidence that renewable energy is the better economic choice,” said Rose Monahan, staff attorney for the Sierra Club.

“Sierra Club has long pushed the utility to evaluate the true cost of its coal fleet, and results have consistently shown that much if not all of PacifiCorp’s coal resources are unnecessarily expensive for customers. This report makes clear that Utah and Wyoming have a tremendous opportunity by embracing a clean energy future.”

Key findings include:

• Investing in renewable energy in Utah and Wyoming would create thousands of new jobs, with workers in clean energy projected to earn significantly higher salaries than current state averages.
• The high renewables scenario analyzed in the report would generate 18,247 more job-years than a low-renewables approach.
• Increased renewable energy investments would drive billions in economic growth and provide critical tax revenue to support public services such as schools and hospitals, more than offsetting lost revenue from fossil fuel retirements.

“In Utah, we’ve been consistently told that transitioning away from coal would devastate our rural communities, but this report reveals a different reality,” said Luis Miranda, Utah-based Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club. “The data confirms that a shift to renewable energy isn’t just necessary — it’s an economic opportunity. The only question that remains is whether Utah’s leaders and utilities will act on this opportunity or leave workers and communities behind.”

Miranda said he has met countless members and officials of Emery and Carbon counties entrenched in the coal mining industry that is in a state of flux.

“We’ve long been told that transitioning away from coal will devastate our rural communities, but the study conducted by the current energy group reveals a different story. It shows how a shift to renewable energy is, in fact, an economic opportunity for Utah,” Miranda said.

“I’ve spoken with families of workers who have powered our state for generations, and I’ve seen firsthand the economic uncertainty brought by the coal industry. And let me be clear, I can’t help but feel so proud for the legacy of generations of Utahns, of coal miners and coal plant workers who have sacrificed so much to ensure the lights stay on in this country, who love the land that they live in, and who will break their backs to support their families” Miranda said.

But Miranda said it is not so much a matter of jobs, but long-term stability.

”People want to know, will there be careers that will allow them to stay in their communities, buy a home, provide for their families and plan for the future. In fact, one phrase that has become too common in coal country has been that their greatest export is their children, who often leave because they are unsure about the future economic opportunities offered by coal jobs.”

That sentiment was echoed by another presenter.

“Our state’s most important export today isn’t coal or natural gas — it’s jobs,” said Emma Jones, climate and energy organizer for the Sierra Club in Wyoming.

But is Utah embracing solar?

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Utah has not been sitting quietly by to ignore its solar resources.

“With a high ultraviolet index, due to our relatively high altitude, and investment in solar photovoltaic systems, Utah was ranked ninth in the U.S. for solar energy generating capacity,” it said.

Earlier this month, Senators John Curtis, R-Utah, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., introduced the Co-Location Energy Act, bipartisan legislation that seeks to unlock renewable energy potential. By allowing wind and solar projects to be co-located on existing federal energy leases, the Co-Location Energy Act provides a streamlined framework for developers to evaluate and build projects on already-disturbed federal lands with the consent of the current leaseholder.

”Innovation and efficiency are key as we work to meet energy demands and reduce emissions,” Curtis said. “The Co-Location Energy Act is a commonsense approach that leverages already-leased federal lands for renewable energy development. By expediting permitting and ensuring that previously disturbed areas are fully utilized, this bill strengthens energy supply to the grid without compromising existing operations.”

Added Hickenlooper: ”Our clean energy future is here. We need to meet it. Our bipartisan bill will cut unnecessary red tape to speed our energy production and bring more wind and solar projects online quicker.”

This week, Clearway Energy Group announced that it closed financing and began construction on its Honeycomb portfolio, which comprises of four battery energy storage systems projects adjacent to an operating solar energy portfolio owned and operated by Clearway.

Each 80-megawatt project will use four-hour Tesla batteries and collectively store up to 1,280 megawatts of dispatchable power. Honeycomb is contracted with PacifiCorp under a 20-year agreement that makes use of existing solar plants in Beaver and Iron counties.

But are Utah, Wyoming doing enough?

The analysis says no.

“Based on this analysis, CEG found that the economic impacts from investment in the high renewable plans led to greater overall job creation. In total, the high renewables case is expected to generate 18,247 more job-years compared to the low renewables case, with the UT/WY-focused plan to generate 34,999 more job years. In both cases, the majority of these gains come from additional solar capacity,” according to the report.

Notably, it said these values reflect the total net impact of the higher renewable plans, including job losses from earlier thermal retirements.