The southern Utah city of Hurricane is on record: It opposes federal legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions on the grounds it would increase energy costs for consumers.

The City Council, with a strong endorsement by Mayor Tom Hirschi, unanimously opposed a nonbinding resolution earlier this month directed against "cap and trade" legislation now being considered by the U.S. Senate. The proposed legislation would require companies that emit greenhouse gases to purchase government credits to offset those emissions. Those credits could then be traded or sold.

Between customers at his barbershop on Monday, Hirschi said the city believes there are better ways to solve problems than "taxing" people. He also worries what cap and trade would do to Utah coal mines.

"I feel strongly that incentives should be provided to bright minds to come up with solutions to CO2 emissions without taxing and taxing," he said.

He believes the threat of global warming is just so much "malarkey" stirred up by environmentalists. Hirschi couldn't say what effect the city's resolution would have on politicians debating cap and trade. Hurricane's population hovers between 9,000 and 10,000.

"We just want them to know how we feel," he said.

DaveImlay, director of the Hurricane City Power Department, who supports the resolution, said Monday he is sending it to state legislators, Utah's congressional delegation and the White House.

Imlay

Advertisement
fears that if cap and trade passes in its proposed form, it will raise the base cost of power and mean costlier power bills. He agrees with Hirschi that the solution lies in the free market.

"There are smart people out there who can find ways to create solutions that will keep jobs and the power on at a relatively cheap cost," he said.

Aaron Huertas, a spokesman for Union of Concerned Scientists, which is dedicated to finding environmental solutions to world problems, said government studies estimate the cost to the average consumer of proposed cap and trade legislation is about the price of a postage stamp a day.

"At the end of the day [cap and trade] makes polluters responsible for what they are putting in the air, where now they are not," said Huertas.

He also disputed Hirschi's characterization of global warming, saying research has shown global temperatures are rising in concert with the emission of greenhouse gases

"It's an open and shut case with the scientific community," said Huertas.

mhavnes@sltrib.com