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Rocky Mountain Power's Sustainable Transportation and Energy Plan found favor in a Senate committee Thursday, despite testimony from critics who say the bill is simply a tax in eco-friendly clothing.

Groups including the Utah Association of Energy Users, Utah Clean Energy, Breathe Utah, HEAL Utah, the Utah Mining Association, the Crossroads Urban Center and Western Resource Advocates have spoken out against the utility's STEP measure, which envisions investing in "clean coal" technology and electric vehicle charging stations, and switching power generation to plants that don't rely on coal.

SB11 calls for those programs to be funded by a 4 percent surcharge on RMP customers.

Representatives from the various groups, as well as unaffiliated Utah residents, spoke against the bill Thursday and asked for clarification on aspects of the lengthy proposal.

"There are too many pieces to this," said Democratic Sen. Karen Mayne, West Valley City, calling for the legislation to be retooled and for the utility to answer the questions brought up in the meeting. But she voted to send the bill forward to the full Senate for more discussion. "I feel like we need lots of conversation on this ... this is a big banana."

Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, was the lone "nay" vote on the bill, saying it needs revision and that "it's incumbent upon the committee to get it right before we send it to the floor."