This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Someone keeps telling us we need to build gas pipelines and keep coal mines open because those industries provide jobs. Then why are we so quick to jeopardize workers in the solar industry by inflating power rates for solar-powered homes?

Simple logic tells us that moving to renewable energy is not about losing jobs; it's about shifting them. We'll always need energy and we'll always need workers to provide it. Obviously retooling and retraining are neither simple nor quick, but they are logical and necessary.

So the agenda of the pro-coal advocates is embarrassingly transparent. They would like to distract us from simple logic—not to mention our health and environment—to prop up business as usual. It's time for the "Public" Service Commission to serve the public and encourage new energy sources rather than bowing once again to the status quo.

Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain Power might take a lesson from Kodak. If they had focused on what they provide (imaging) rather than how they provide it (film), Kodak might not be flailing in bankruptcy. For RMP, instead of trying to impede progress, it's time for you to get serious about your own renewable energy efforts.

Hydee Clayton

Millcreek