Utah Moms for Cleaner Air - Helping you Breathe Easier

I have been hearing about SB 173 on Renewable Energy, but felt unqualified to explain it. I asked someone from Utah Moms for Cleaner Air to give us a brief summary of the bill and a little about their organization. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here and we'll get them answered as best as possible. And now, here's Travis Harvey, co-founder of Utah Moms for Cleaner Air:


Utah currently generates 95% of its electricity from coal-fired powerplants. Along with electricity, these plants produce tons and tons of health-damaging air pollution, including fine particulate matter, nitrous oxides, and mercury. The health effects of these pollutants are grave, including asthma, heart disease, and early death. To address the serious health effects of air pollution, Utah must diversify its energy production and choose clean sources of energy. Legislation is needed to level the uneven playing field of the energy industry to encourage the growth of the renewable energy industry.

Senator Scott McCoy (D) of Salt Lake is sponsoring Senate Bill 173, a Renewable Energy Provisions bill. This bill specifies that Utah's utilities must generate 25% of our energy from renewable sources by 2025, with numerous interim targets in the intervening years to keep utilities on target and allow Utahans to see the numerous benefits of renewable energy as soon as possible. By producing more of our electricity from renewable sources we will be improving our air quality, diversifying our energy supply, improving Utah's economic outlook, and moving Utah into the future.

There is a competing bill sponsored by Senator Curt Bramble (R) of Provo that is written by Rocky Mountain Power (RMP), the largest electric utility in the state. This bill masquerades as a Renewable Portfolio Standard by proposing 20% renewable energy generation by 2025. However, the bill specifies no interim targets and defines renewable energy so broadly as to include patently non-renewable sources like coal-fired power plants using carbon dioxide sequestration (but still producing tons of other health damaging pollutants). This bill, because written by RMP, protects the utility and discourages free-market competition. It is not good for rate-payers or competing renewable energy producers. The bill, as currently written, is not a true Renewable Portfolio Standard and will hold Utah back in the competitive energy industry for years to come.

Senate Bill 173 is the "Real McCoy" when it comes to Utah's renewable energy future. It has the potential to truly move Utah away from heavy reliance on polluting coal and toward clean energy. To support this bill, please contact your senator and representative and tell them to support SB 173 and encourage their colleagues to do the same.

To get involved with Utah Moms for Clean Air, please visit our website [http://www.utahmomsforcleanair.org/]. You can click on our Legislation link [http://www.utahmomsforcleanair.org/legislation/] to learn more about legislation affecting Utah's air quality. You can join our group and receive email updates and action alerts by clicking on the "Subscribe to our newsletter" link [https://app.expressemailmarketing.com/Survey.aspx?SFID=38795]. There are manyways citizens can get involved in cleaning up our air, from individual voluntary actions you can take to lessen your own impact, to volunteering with our organization, to writing letters to legislators. We'll keep you informed about it all.