From Deseret News archives:
Powering Utah in the future
Utahns may not know much about how they're going to get enough power to keep up with growth in the coming years, but they can be reasonably sure it will cost more. Perhaps a lot more.
As a series of stories in this newspaper last week made clear, most Utahns today get power from coal-fired generators that cost about $35 per megawatt-hour produced. But the current generating capacity is expected to leave the state in a 750 megawatt deficit by 2010 and perhaps a 2,500 megawatt deficit by 2012. Not only are more people moving into the state, those already here are demanding more electricity to power their iPods, cell phones, wide-screen televisions and air conditioners.
The state needs a comprehensive energy policy as soon as possible, and it needs to begin taking action now. Nuclear power generators won't solve the state's needs in 2012, but that's only because it takes an estimated 15 years, at the very least, to permit and build a nuclear plant. A better estimate may be 20 years.
But it makes sense to begin that process today. Nuclear power has a superb safety record, and it can generate enough electricity to meet the state's needs.
Alternative renewable sources, such as wind, geothermal and solar generated power, need to be vigorously pursued, also. Already, Rocky Mountain Power is using a combination of these to generate some electricity, but so far the amounts generated are relatively small, and the cost relatively high.
The most likely way Utahns will take care of their growing power needs is by purchasing it from other states. Unfortunately, Utah won't be alone. Other states are experiencing similar needs, which depletes overall capacity and raises costs. In the future, the state may have to be the highest bidder if it hopes to buy power elsewhere. Again, costs will rise.
The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems had to shelve plans to expand its coal-fired Intermountain Power Project in Millard County because Los Angeles, which bought much of that power, had concerns about the plant's pollution levels, which were believed to be contributing to global warming. If generating power were as simple as using coal, Utah would have a lot of cheap energy for a long time to come. But pollution has suddenly made that virtually impossible.
Those coal plants could clean themselves up, using new technology to sequester the carbon deep in the ground. This is an attractive solution, but the technology won't be ready for another five to 10 years.
And even that would add about 10 percent to power bills.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. indicated last year that he doesn't like nuclear power and that he prefers renewables. That's a policy that makes half sense. It does not, however, address how Utahns will keep the lights on in a few short years.
