Big news from the Governor’s Office of Energy Development, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Wyoming, the Ouray and Uintah Utes and four Colorado counties to open natural gas access across Western states. That, coupled with the news that the world’s largest clean energy storage project is coming to Utah, is an example of what a balanced approach to energy looks like.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects liquefied natural gas export capacity will more than double by year’s end, making the U.S. the world’s third-largest exporter. That’s exceptionally important to a state that sits atop some of the country’s largest reserves and for families and businesses in the rural eastern parts of the state looking to reap new jobs and revenue.
Equally important is a salt dome that will house 1 gigawatt of storage capacity, which can serve 150,000 households annually, according to Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems. Gov. Herbert also recently tweeted that Enel Green Power’s Cove Fort power plant will become the world’s first large-scale facility to combine geothermal and hydropower technologies.
This combination of clean-burning natural gas and renewables is a good, all-of-the-above approach to energy that betters the environment and helps ensure families have access to affordable and reliable energy for generations.
Andrew Browning is the chief operating officer of Consumer Energy Alliance.