Utah's 'wavering commitment' means fewer green jobs, study says

SALT LAKE CITY — A new report out of Bozeman, Mont., ties growth in the "green" jobs sector to clean energy mandates and gubernatorial leadership.

On both standards, Utah is falling behind compared to nearby Western states, according to the Headwaters Economics assessment. The state also has attracted less venture capital and federal funding for the green industry than other states, according to the June 17 document.

"The state's failure to create certainty for clean energy sectors — both its weak renewable mandate and fossil fuel-focused energy development incentive scheme — show evidence of a wavering commitment that has left the state behind in the green economy," the study on Rocky Mountain energy creation reads.

Headwaters policy analyst Chris Mehl said good green jobs require three strong legs: urban population, a skilled work force and governmental push.

"You have the population, and you've got great universities," he said. "I think some of it is the leadership of the state. Investments will come where stability is."

Mehl added that Utah has incentives for oil, shale and natural gas, but the other states in the study incentivize the creation of solar and wind energy, specifically.

But according to Dianne Nielson, Gov. Gary Herbert's energy adviser, Utah is more concerned with rewarding effective businesses than rewarding plans for those businesses.

The report encourages Utah to compete with Colorado, which received about 30 times the venture capital Utah got for renewable energy and "green-collar" job creation. New Mexico got about 10 times more green venture capital than Utah, according to the study.

In addition to finding shortfalls, the study said Utah has the most stable level of energy conservation compared with Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado.

Nielson agreed and pointed to a long list of demand-side programs, such as Questar's Thermwise, that are helping to clear the Utah air.

Nielson also defended Utah's climate-cleansing goals in response to part of the Headwaters analysis that predicts green industries will not locate in places without strict energy targets.

"Utah's renewable portfolio standard is as strong as other states in practice," she said, explaining that renewable resource portfolios in each of the five states has an "economic off-ramp" clause similar to the one adopted in Utah in 2008. That legislation calls for Utah to have 20 percent renewable energy by 2025.

Other Utah programs for the brave new world of clean energy include expanding educational opportunities for green workers and studying the cost of transmission lines for renewable power.