You don't have to be an investment broker to understand the implications of throwing all of our eggs into one basket.
To create a better world and a promising future for Utahns we can and should start making smarter energy decisions today. It is time to provide much needed energy efficiency, conservation and vastly improved renewable technology while putting Utah on the map as a forward thinking state with a sustainable economy and a cleaner energy future.
One easy and a giant first stride for Utah would be the adoption of a renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, something 21 other states have already done. An RPS would require that a percentage of our electricity come from renewable sources. Some Utah legislators are critical of an RPS, but it would be the largest single step toward attracting the investments needed to create a renewable energy industry in the state.
There are huge economic opportunities in renewables. For example, in 2004 global investment in renewable energy set a new record of $30 billion. Bring it home and consider the possibilities.
A study this year by the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that a 10 percent RPS could, by 2020, provide the state $888 million in new capital investment, $63 million in new property tax revenues for local communities, and $16 million in income to ranchers and rural landowners resulting from bioenergy development and wind power land leases. This isn't chump change.
The opponents of change say it will cost more money for the consumers to obtain power from renewable energy sources, but this is not accurate. A Colorado utility announced this fall that customers who signed up for their wind power program would pay on average $10 less per month for their electricity due to rising natural gas and coal prices.
Here at home, the city of Murray voted to purchase all of the power from a new biomass generation facility being constructed at the Salt Lake County landfill. The plant will generate enough electricity to provide power to all of Murray's city facilities and will cost Murray residents only 45 cents more per year, less than the cost of a can of pop.
Utah leaders must also recognize the looming challenge of global warming, as demonstrated by our Western neighbors. Currently, California relies on out-of-state coal-fired power plants for 20 percent of its electricity. These facilities are located in Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico and are some of the most polluting power plants in the United States, contributing literally millions of tons of pollutants to regional smog, haze and global warming.
To start addressing it, the California Energy Commission recently voted unanimously to severely restrict greenhouse gas emissions from its out-of-state power resources.
As this greenhouse gas restriction on out-of-state power sources becomes enacted and 21 other states aggressively pursue renewable energy supplies, Utah must also implement an energy policy that will replicate such initiatives in order to stimulate our economy.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, former secretary of energy, understands this clearly, demonstrated by his recent announcement of a new solar manufacturing facility to be constructed in Albuquerque, one that will employ hundreds of people, have a payroll in excess of $35 million over a five-year period and contribute $60 million in state and local taxes.
We can't afford to ignore these tremendous economic development opportunities. Implementing energy efficiency and conservation measures are the first and cheapest sources of energy and will save consumers money and mitigate rising electricity costs over the long term. Additionally, creating more opportunities for using renewable energy would insulate ratepayers from the spikes we see each winter in our fuel costs.
A look into the future, likely less than 20 years from now, we see that renewables will occupy a much larger share of our energy infrastructure, lessening our heavy reliance on fossil fuels while helping to stabilize energy costs. It is time for the leaders of this state to realize our responsibilities to the people to meet new energy challenges and create an energy-efficient path that is economic, safe and clean for generations to come.
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Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, represents District 30.
