Energy summit says plan is needed

Currently, renewable energy — like wind, solar and biomass — makes up less than 2 percent of Utah's total energy portfolio.

"The reason we haven't seen more wind sooner is that the electricity costs in Utah by national standards is pretty low," said Philip Powlick, energy program manager for the Utah Department of Natural Resources. "If you're looking at selling into the Utah market, it makes it harder for renewables to compete on that basis."

Utah gets about 95 percent of its electricity from burning coal.

In 2006, the average retail price of electricity in Utah was 7.61 cents per kilowatt-hour, up from 7.52 cents per kwh in 2005. Just eight other states in 2006 had average residential electricity prices lower than Utah's, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

But Powlick believes Utah is turning in a new direction with plans by UPC Wind for a 200-megawatt wind park to be built by 2008 about 30 miles north of Milford, Beaver County. Another 200 megawatts is expected to be added to the park by 2009.

And Wasatch Wind is developing an 18.9-megawatt wind farm near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. A megawatt is enough energy to power about 500 homes.

Laura Nelson, Utah's state energy adviser, said renewable energy could make up 10 percent to 15 percent of Utah's energy mix by 2020.

"Our Legislature has been, I think, phenomenal in working with us to try and identify incentives, working diligently to free up the renewable tax credit during this last session," Nelson said. "I think they are ready to sit down and work with us again on how we can develop renewable incentives for the state."

In 1997, there was no significant renewable energy in Colorado, according to John Nielson, energy project director for Western Resource Advocates. But by the end of this year, the state will have more than 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity.

"How did this happen?" Nielson asked. "Rising natural gas prices over this period were a driver that increased the cost competitiveness of renewable resources relative to other technologies. But proactive renewable energy policies also played a critical role."

According to a report this month by the American Wind Energy Association, Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation with the most wind energy installed at 2,768 megawatts. Utah ranked No. 32, with less than 1 megawatt of wind capacity.

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