Utah may remove incentives for solar power projects based on their location
A solar installation in Emery County, with PacifiCorp's Hunter coal-fired power plant in the background, is pictured on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Building large solar energy plants in Utah may become a more arduous endeavor this year, especially if they are located on certain farmland.
That's if HB241 passes this legislative session. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Colin Jack, R-St George, eliminates incentives meant to fund big solar developments if they are located on what the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food defines as 'productive farmlands.'
The bill 'attempts to find the balance between having food to eat and not having food to eat,' said Jack, who has successfully run a number of proposals to ensure the state has enough on-demand energy, especially from coal-fueled power plants.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
After the full House voted 54-12 to approve the bill on Monday, it now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
Incentives restricted from projects in farmlands include a clean energy systems tax credit, a tax credit for high-cost infrastructure projects, and an alternative energy development tax credit. According to Jack, his bill is a solution addressing a concern that his constituents brought to him — 'a lot of their productive farm and ranch land was being consumed with large solar fields,' he said.
The legislation changed a lot from its original version, which set strict requirements for lot size, height, setbacks, noise levels and visual appearance that some considered to be too restrictive for most large solar plants. But, those are now gone, and the bill now only removes state financial incentives.
Additionally, HB241 requires the solar energy industry to consult with state biologists about migrations and endangered species in the location of potential solar fields for large projects.
Also, they should have a decommissioning fund and plan to reclaim the land where the units sit with either a landowner or a governing local authority.
The bill doesn't limit anyone from pursuing solar power projects on their own land and with their own money, Jack said. It only disincentives building them on farmlands.
And, lands that are partially adequate to grow food may still access part of the incentives if they have certain characteristics.
'I worry about the message that we are removing (Utah) from solar and not thriving with renewable energy,' said Rep. Rosalba Dominguez, D-Salt Lake City, during the debate. However, she added that she appreciates the intention of protecting farmers and food production.
This is the latest bill proposal that has been controversial among those advocating for clean energy. The state is also studying and advancing a bill this session to impose a substantial tax for privately-owned solar and wind power projects to fund an endangered wildlife account.
HB241, however, changed on Monday to clarify that it wouldn't affect projects that are already in the works.
While Jack reiterated that the bill wouldn't directly tell landowners how to use their plots, Rep. Scott Chew, R-Jensen, said he still struggled with it, since it still represents another limit on what property owners can do with their lands
'Maybe it doesn't limit them, but it limits the opportunities that they can do with their private property,' Chew said. 'So I'm having a hard time continuing on with this bill.'
But others, like Rep. Troy Shelley, R-Ephraim, supported the idea, arguing that it provides more accountability for solar energy developers.
'A lot of times, individuals (…) or corporations, when they build something like this, and it all collapses and falls to pieces, they walk away from it,' Shelley said. 'And this creates a bond so that they can't walk away.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Advocates call on Sens. Lee, Curtis, to revive payments to downwinders in ‘big, beautiful' bill
Steve Erickson, an advocate for downwinders, speaks to reporters about a possible RECA expansion in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch) It's been one year since Congress allowed the program offering payments to downwinders to expire. Now, advocates are hoping the Senate will revive the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, as part of the 'big, beautiful' bill. That includes Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who told reporters on Tuesday he's 'hoping something can get done.' RECA had been in place since 1990, offering payments to uranium workers and downwinders, people who contracted cancer from above-ground nuclear tests. For years it was criticized for being too narrow — despite studies suggesting the entire West was blanketed by dangerous levels of radiation during nuclear tests, downwinders in just 10 counties in Utah, as well as a handful of counties in Nevada and Arizona, were covered. And since the program expired last June, Congress has been unable to bring RECA back, stymied by spending concerns. Although the Senate passed a bill sponsored by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley that would greatly expand the program, it hasn't been considered in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During a press conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, advocates called on Utah Republican Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee to get behind an amendment to Congress' budget bill similar to what Hawley has proposed. 'There's a real possibility that a RECA reauthorization and expansion could be included in H.R.1,' said Steve Erickson, a longtime advocate for downwinders. 'But this will need the support of Utah's congressional delegation, especially the full-throated support from Senator Lee and Senator Curtis. Without their support, the prospects for RECA are much diminished.' Neither Curtis or Lee's offices responded to a request for comment. Dozens of Utah lawmakers call on Congress to resume payments to downwinders When asked about RECA during his monthly PBS news conference on Tuesday, Cox said he's hopeful Congress will find a way to bring the program back during budget reconciliation. Cox, along with a coalition of 41 Utah lawmakers, have previously supported efforts to expand the program, specifically Hawley's bill. Hawley's bill would expand the program to cover all of Utah and a handful of other Western states that weren't previously included in RECA, while extending coverage to communities around St. Louis and territories in the Pacific that were impacted by nuclear weapons testing development. 'We'll continue to express support for that,' Cox said on Tuesday. 'The repercussions of that above-ground nuclear testing in Utah are very long lasting and many of us had family members that have been impacted. So I think it's still important. Utah is not alone but Utah was significantly impacted.' However, the governor noted there haven't been any new developments in his talks with the congressional delegation. People who submitted their claims before the deadline last summer can still receive payments — but there's no option for downwinders who were just recently diagnosed with cancer, or didn't know about the program. '(We) continue to receive emails and phone calls from affected community members here in Utah who have received cancer diagnosis, asking where to apply and what to do,' said Carmen Valdez, a senior policy associate for the Health Environment Alliance of Utah. 'It's really discouraging to say that the program is expired and they can no longer apply, but they can contact their delegation about it.' RECA has always had bipartisan support. Originally sponsored by late Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, both Democrats and Republicans have since advocated for its expansion. That includes Sens. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, who have lobbied with Hawley to expand the program. 'This is not a partisan play by any means,' said Erickson. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Dumb flags' and a ‘dumb bill': Utah governor rolls his eyes at SLC's workaround of flag ban
Flags adopted as official banners of Salt Lake City, circumventing the state's ban on most flags being displayed at government buildings and schools, hang outside the Salt Lake City and County building on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The official city flags include the Salt Lake City flag, pride flag, Juneteenth flag and transgender flag. (McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch) 'Dumb.' That was the word Utah Gov. Spencer Cox used Tuesday to express his annoyance with a new law that bans certain flags in schools and government buildings while also criticizing Salt Lake City leaders' move to circumvent the ban by adopting pride and other flags symbolizing diversity and inclusion as official city banners. 'They're dumb flags and it was a dumb bill,' Cox said curtly when asked during his monthly PBS Utah news conference about Salt Lake City's response to the flag ban. Salt Lake City adopts new banners, sidestepping pride flag ban Last month, hours before the new flag ban law took effect in Utah, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled a proposal to adopt three new city flags: a rainbow one symbolizing support for LGBTQ+ communities, a pink and white one for transgender people, and a red and blue one emulating the Juneteenth flag — all with Salt Lake City's official white sego lily symbol. That evening, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt the flags. Cox allowed HB77, the bill Utah lawmakers passed aimed at banning many flags — including pride or LGBTQ+ flags — from schools and all government buildings to become law without his signature. The bill made Utah the first state in the nation to enact such a sweeping flag ban. Though he let it become law, Cox wasn't a fan of HB77. He described it in a letter as 'one of the most divisive bills of the session' and lamented that it didn't result in a compromise. Supporters of the flag ban, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, have argued it was meant to promote 'political neutrality' in government spaces. But critics argued the broad ban would invite free speech litigation while also leaving some Utahns, especially the LGBTQ+ community, feeling unwelcome and erased. Cox could have vetoed the bill, but he indicated in his letter that it would likely have been overridden by the Republican-supermajority Utah Legislature. Instead, he urged lawmakers to 'consider commonsense solutions that address the bill's numerous flaws.' While Cox said he agreed with the 'underlying intent' to bring 'political neutrality to the classroom,' he also wrote 'unfortunately, this bill does not do that.' 'As tired as Utahns are of politically divisive symbols, I think they are also tired of culture war bills that don't solve the problems they intend to fix,' Cox wrote in his letter. On Tuesday, Cox called the ongoing debate over the flag ban and Salt Lake City leaders' response 'ridiculous.' As Sundance leaves, Utah Gov. Cox allows first-in-the-nation flag ban to become law without his pen 'You know, I feel bad for Japanese Americans. I feel bad for Polynesian Americans. I mean, who are we leaving out, here?' Cox said of Salt Lake City's new banners. 'I'm sure they feel great that they got around this dumb law, and they did it with dumb flags. The whole thing's dumb.' Pressed on what he thinks should be done instead, Cox said, 'We should raise the American flag, and let's unify around that. It's a great flag. It represents everyone. And the Legislature doesn't need to be in everybody's business all the time.' Cox let out an exasperated laugh before adding: 'we're living in the dumbest timeline right now. That's all I can say.' In response to a request for comment on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office said 'we've had an overwhelmingly positive response' from Salt Lake City residents for the newly adopted city banners. Lee, in a post on X responding to Cox's comments on Tuesday, wrote: 'So the bill to stop the divide and get everyone to raise one flag… was dumb?' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Utah earns Moody's highest credit rating again
The downtown Salt Lake City skyline is backdropped by fresh snow on the Wasatch Mountains on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Describing Utah's economy as strong and its outlook as stable, Moody's affirmed the state's Aaa issuer credit rating Tuesday. That's the highest possible rating for a government entity, indicating the lowest risk for investors. Along with Utah, 13 other states hold that score with Moody's, Fitch and S&P Global, three big rating agencies. 'The Aaa issuer rating reflects Utah's robustly expanding economy, formidable budget reserves, minimal leverage, and exemplary fiscal governance,' the financial firm wrote in the announcement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Analysts also expect Utah's demographic trends to continue to drive good revenue performance and diversify the state's economy, they wrote. In the meantime, the state has 'excellent budget flexibility' with low fixed costs from 'low leverage from bonded debt, pension liabilities and retiree healthcare.' However, the state also faces credit challenges, including climbing cost of living prices and diminishing housing affordability, which could slow down the state's 'in-migration' trends in the future. Additionally, catering to more Utahns living in the state means more spending, especially for public education. And, like in most Western states, Utah's issues with water supply and drought 'can disrupt the economy and drive capital spending,' analysts said. Gov. Spencer Cox celebrated the news, saying in a release that the rating would allow the state to save taxpayer dollars with low-borrowing costs to fund infrastructure and public services. 'These ratings reflect the fact that our hard work is paying off,' Cox said in a statement. 'Utah continues to be recognized as one of the best-managed states in the nation because of our commitment to fiscal responsibility and the incredible work of public servants who take that responsibility seriously every day.' The firm also highlighted that Utah's score will remain steady since its fiscal and debt management style could allow it to successfully navigate potential economic challenges, while its 'judicious' approach to expenses in sectors like education, transportation and health care will make for stronger financial stability. 'We don't take this kind of recognition for granted,' Cox said. 'The recent launch of GRIT and the BUILD Coordination Council reflects our commitment to keep improving by solving problems early and delivering real results for Utahns. A top credit rating is something to be proud of, but it is also a reminder to keep earning that trust every single day.' Moody's noted that Utah's rating could be downgraded if the state departs from its tradition of fiscal and liability management, or if the state reduces its reserves to less than 25% of own-source revenue due to economic downturn or other events. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
