Panel: Utah needs clean energy more quickly

SALT LAKE CITY — A panel of energy experts who spoke Wednesday on Utah's efforts to reduce the state's carbon footprint say the state is making some progress by using more solar, wind and geo-thermal power, but it's a slow go.

The six panelists at The Nature of Things 2011 lecture on reinventing energy at the city library said it will take a change in the ordinary citizen's attitude and considerably more political will on the part of policymakers to cut public reliance on fossil fuels.

Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy, said Utah needs an updated building code that requires more energy efficient structures and public policies and mandates that motivate change.

"The United States (and Utah is following a similar pattern) is falling behind (in its efforts to rely less on traditional fuels and move toward using more renewable sources)," she said. "We used to be first."

Wright said China and now Germany are making much larger strides than America.

"We really need to work on making it rewarding for people and businesses to use renewable power," Wright said.

Wright said many still believe that renewable power is not available or that it's an environmental issue rather than an economic opportunity.

"There's a mindshift needed," said Ann Ober, Salt Lake County's intergovernmental affairs specialist. "You have to think about renewables. There's an ease with the status quo."

James Campbell, a senior engineer with PacificCorp, said renewable power sources are more expensive than fossil fuels and there are challenges such as finding places that consistently have sufficient wind for wind turbines or sites that provide access to geo-thermal power and providing consistent power with solar panels.

"The biggest barrier is economic," he said but noted that PacificCorp is investing in natural gas, wind, solar and geo thermal energy while the power company continues to emphasize less dependency on traditional fuels such as coal, spending $100 million a year to try and educate consumers.

Campbell pointed out that while China is ahead in solar panel development, the country is also using increased amounts of coal to produce the power necessary to manufacture the panels as well as wind turbine components.

Vicki Bennett, sustainability director for Salt Lake City, and Ober, said the city and county have major "green" projects coming online.