The cost of complying with the emissions limitations would be minimal to other states in the compacts and astronomical to Utah. "I'd be in favor of it too, if I were Gov. Schwarzenegger," he said.

Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab, co-chairman of the committee, asked about the effect of a $50-per-ton coal tax on a farmer who already pays $30,000 per year for power to pump irrigation water.

"You would be out of business," Rasmussen replied.

Noel said that is why the Farm Bureau is concerned about the initiative.

Late Wednesday, the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and PacifiCorp, which does business as Rocky Mountain Power, announced they will sue IPA and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

The reason, according to a press release, was that they want to develop the third unit at Intermountain Power Plant but were blocked from doing that. (IPA sells more than 70 percent of its power to California utilities, which have voting rights with the utility.)

The plant, located near Delta, is part of the IPA. It produces 1,800 megawatts of power and the third unit would add 900 megawatts of capacity.

"It is improper for Los Angeles to assert it has the right to block needed generating resources in Utah to satisfy California's new environmental laws," said Richard Walje, president of Rocky Mountain Power, quoted in a news release.

"Los Angeles withdrew from Unit 3 development in 2003 and, therefore, has no right to dictate how the future development of the Intermountain Power Project will proceed."

---

E-mail: bau@desnews.com