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Utah
State Programs
Related Links
State Planning and Incentive Structures | Energy Efficiency Actions | Energy Supply Actions
State Planning and Incentive Structures
Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency in Public Facilities
Status: Completed
Details: Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. announced his "Working 4 Utah" program on June 26, 2008, making Utah the first state to mandate a shortened workweek for many state employees. During the one-year pilot program, which will run through August 2009, employees will work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The governor expects the new schedule to allow many state buildings to close on Fridays, saving Utah taxpayers an estimated $3 million annually in utility costs.
Statute (House Bill 80) requires the creation and implementation of a state building energy efficiency program, which shall develop guidelines/procedures and goals for energy efficiency for state buildings. Executive Order 2006-0004 calls on state employees to adopt energy conservation principles in state facilities, including adjusting building temperatures, reducing power usage, and replacing light fixtures. The Governor's Energy Policy calls for the creation of programs for building energy design standards and high-performance building rating, and the state will consider a process where all capital improvements for existing state-owned buildings are explicitly reviewed for energy impacts.
- http://www.utah.gov/governor/news_media/article.html?article=1724
- http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillenr/hb0080.pdf
- http://www.rules.utah.gov/execdocs/2006/ExecDoc113478.htm
Lead By Example—Energy Efficient Appliance and Equipment Purchase Requirements for Public Facilities
Status: Completed
Details: 2006 Statute (House Bill 80) declares that it is the policy of the state to procure energy efficient products where practicable and requires the Division of Facilities Construction and Management to implement the policy. The Governor's Energy Policy calls for the creation of programs for the procurement of energy-efficient products.
- http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillenr/hb0080.pdf
- http://energy.utah.gov/energy/governors_priorities/energy.html
Lead By Example—Clean Energy Goals for Public Facilities
Status: Completed
Details: The Governor's Energy Policy (2006) calls for programs to install onsite renewable energy sources to reduce state government energy consumption by 2% by 2015 compared to 2005 levels.
Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency and Alternative Fuel Goals for Public Fleets
Status: Completed
Details: HB110 (March 2007) requires agencies that use state fleet vehicles to design programs that will reduce fleet costs by increasing energy efficiency through decreasing the volume of fuel used, increasing fleet mpg, and implementing improved maintenance of vehicles, among other approaches. Each agency submitted a fleet cost efficiency plan by November 1, 2007, that includes a plan of action to increase energy efficiency. On April 26, 2006, the Governor released his comprehensive energy efficiency plan which calls for the state to: continue to use fuel-efficient vehicles, such as compressed natural gas and hybrids, within the state fleet and look to identify other efficient supply alternatives; to encourage the legislature to continue to help state agencies subsidize state employee use of public transportation through the eco-pass program; and to give priority to locating new state facilities near light rail and commuter rails lines to provide better access for state employees to public transportation.
- http://le.utah.gov/~2007/bills/hbillenr/hb0110.pdf
- http://fleet.utah.gov/main/resources/hb110/State%20Fleet%20Cost%20Efficiency%20Report%20-%20Web.pdf
- http://www.energy.utah.gov/energy/governors_priorities/utah_policy_to_advance_energy_efficiency_in_the_state.html
State and Regional Energy Planning
Status: Completed
Details: On October 16, 2007, the Utah Energy Efficiency Strategy was presented to the governor's energy advisor, consisting of 23 policy options for reducing electricity, natural gas, gasoline, or diesel fuel consumption through greater energy efficiency.
Utah is part of the Western Governor's Association (WGA). In June 2006 the Governors signed resolutions to meet or exceed goals of 30,000 MW of clean energy by 2015 and a 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020, to encourage adequate funding for state energy efficiency and renewable generation programs, and to facilitate development of regional energy markets.
HB 46, passed during the 2006 Utah Legislative Session, codified the position of the Governor's Energy Advisor, identified parameters of a state energy policy, and articulated reporting responsibilities of the Energy Advisor. The first report of the Energy Advisor was delivered to the Governor and two legislative interim committees on 10/18/06. The energy plan calls for support for energy efficiency and a goal of a 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2015, reinstating the corporate renewable energy tax credit, and developing an alternative energy incentive program, among other recommendations.
- http://www.utahcleanenergy.org/documents/Utah_EE_Strategy_Full.pdf
- http://www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/cdeac/index.htm
- http://energy.utah.gov/energy/docs/Legislative_Report.pdf
Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (NOX Budget Trading Program)
Status: No Activity Identified
Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (CAIR Budget Trading Program)
Status: No Activity Identified
Energy Efficiency Actions
Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards
Status: No Activity Identified
Public Benefit Funds for Energy Efficiency
Status: No Activity Identified
Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Commercial Programs
Status: Goes Beyond ECPA
Details: The 2006 IECC is mandatory statewide, including ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004; can use COMcheck to show compliance.
Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Residential Programs
Status: Goes Beyond ECPA
Details: 2006 IECC mandatory statewide; can use REScheck or Home Energy Rating System (HERS) to show compliance.
State Appliance Efficiency Standards
Status: No Activity Identified
Energy Supply Actions
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Status: Completed (with caveat)
Details: Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. signed Senate Bill (S.B.) 202 into law on March 18, 2008. The bill requires utilities to cut carbon dioxide emissions by using "cost-effective" renewable energy generation, demand-side management, and facilities equipped for carbon capture and sequestration for 20% of their retail electricity sales beginning in 2025. The standard does not take effect for nearly 17 years, but recognizing that utilities cannot reach compliance all at once, the bill requires progress reports from utilities to regulators by January 1 for each of the following years: 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024.
Public Benefit Funds for Clean Energy Supply
Status: No Activity Identified
Output-Based Environmental Regulations
Status: No Activity Identified
Interconnection Standards—Clean Distributed Generation
Status: In Progress
Details: In August 2007, the Utah Public Service Commission (PSC) opened a docket (#07-999-07) to examine implementation issues associated with the new federal interconnection standard. Public hearings were held in fall and winter 2007, but as of September 2008 no recent actions have been taken. On May 8, 2007, the PSC adopted the federal interconnection standard of EPAct 2005 (docket #06-999-03), which requires all utilities to offer interconnection to all distributed generation facilities. Not considered completed because current local requirements are still not universal and the application process is unclear.
- http://www.psc.utah.gov/utilities/electric/elecindx/0799907indx.html
- http://www.psc.utah.gov/utilities/misc/miscindx/0699903indx.html
Interconnection Standards—Net Metering
Status: Completed
Details: Utah requires all investor-owned utilities and most electric cooperatives to offer net metering to customers that generate electricity using solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, hydrogen, biomass, landfill gas or geothermal energy. Net metering is available for residential systems up to 25 kilowatts (kW) in capacity and non-residential systems up to two megawatts (MW) in capacity.