But Deseret Power, which supplies electricity to several Western states, is also currently at the center of a debate at the federal level about how to handle carbon-dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.

On Nov. 13, a federal Environmental Protection Agency panel referred back to the EPA regional office in Denver a proposal by Deseret Power to expand its 486-megawatt Bonanza Power Plant in eastern Utah. The EPA's Environmental Appeals Board said the proposal to add a 110-megawatt plant failed to adequately address the issue of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Rasmussen said his Wednesday presentation to Utah lawmakers has nothing to do with his company's goals to expand at the 23-year-old Bonanza plant.

"I'm telling you, they're not linked," he said. "This is just me, as Kimball Rasmussen. This is my personal view. It's not endorsed by the company. This is me. I have no agenda whatsoever."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com