Representatives of the Sierra Club, Utah Clean Energy and the Clean Cities Program pleaded with state lawmakers Tuesday to reinforce the office. But members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee followed Huntsman's urging and voted 3-2 along party lines to dismantle the office and spread its programs among several state departments.

Senate Bill 199 closes the 20-year-old office, turning its functions over to the Department of Environmental Quality, Utah Geological Survey and the governor's office.

Some energy employees would be transferred to other departments, and Huntsman would hire a full-time "energy policy director" to coordinate an advisory board charged with setting state energy policy.

Arguing the energy office's function is largely technical, Huntsman economic development adviser Chris Roybal said Huntsman wants to "elevate" state energy policy.

"The governor recognizes that energy policy is a very important aspect of what happens in our economy and in our state," Roybal said.

While DEQ would administer the state's Clean Fuels Vehicle program, sponsoring Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, said other programs might have to be cut, but couldn't outline any details.

But Sierra Club legislative liaison Mark Clemens said the fact that Hatch was unsure of the details of his own bill was reason to wait. "That's not a good way to make public policy and not an intelligent way to handle oversight," he said.