"Wow, do we have a problem," Weissman said. "As soon as we get more normal weather, prices could easily go up by another 50 to 75 percent. The market is still very tight. The supplies available to the U.S. market continue to be essentially flat as demand continues to increase."

McKeachnie is helping to form a 14-member energy council, made up of utility, industry, government and environmental experts who will give advice on Utah's energy strategy going forward.

The pending energy crisis will likely intensify the ongoing battle between environmental concerns and the search for new oil and gas resources in the Rocky Mountain region.

"We haven't been as business friendly to the oil and gas industry as have our neighbors in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico," McKeachnie said. "People will go to those states to look for and produce energy products before they come to Utah because they say we have too much red tape, too much risk of environmental lawsuits."

Scott Gutting, executive director of the Utah Association of Energy Users, said it is essential for Utah to develop its own energy policy and not leave the outcome to "other states, the federal government or utilities located someplace out of Utah."

"We have to be very proactive," Gutting said.

---

E-mail: danderton@desnews.com