Comments about ‘Utah's 'wavering commitment' means fewer green jobs, study says’

Utah should be a leader, not a follower. Gas prices are among the highest here. And being good stewards of our planet used to be part of our philosophy going back to the pioneers. The political antipathy towards green efforts is not doing us any good.

Concerning the graph: if 1995 = 100%, why don't all the curves intersect at 100% in 1995? And how can it be the percent *increase* from 1995 levels if 1995 = 100%? It would have to be 0% in 1995.

The message bills out of the legislature and pronouncements about the lack of evidence about climate change from the governor's office are a big challenge to overcome to attract cleantech. No entrepreneur or venture capitalist wants to invest where local policymakers aren't onboard.

It's sad that Utah is still offering subsidies for fossil fuels as carbon taxes and restrictions are looming on the regional and federal levels. Who'll get stuck paying these carbon taxes? Utahns where the monopoly utilities rely on 19th century coal and can simply pass their carbon costs onto us. Other Western states have begun to diversify their energy into price-stable renewables that will not face the carbon taxes.

Who is steering Utah's ship here to protect utility rate payers? Can't rely on the "free market" in a regulated utility monopoly environment. Utah needs regulations and incentives to move it into 21st century clean technology.

"Green jobs" require government subsidies because the energy produced is significantly more expensive. Those who argue that it will free us from OPEC ignore the fact that 95% of the worlds known rare earths are in China. Rare earths are required for solar panels and the magnets used in windmills. Renewable energy is a chimera that will never produce the energy necessary to run our society. If these "jobs" are really viable, they will not require government subsidies. We are better off spending our tax dollars elsewhere.

I recall doing a study on adding solar panel to a roof of a warehouse as part of a lighting upgrade. I found out that in two and a half years we would have paid the capital investment off and we would be selling power back to the grid.

Any solar energy that can pay itself off in 2 1/2 years is a great investment. I would be glad to do this. A man called me to put in solar panels. HE claimed they would be paid off in 10-12 years including subsidies. Any alternative energy eventually has to be cost effective and when it is it will sell.

@Not_Scared | 9:44 a.m.

Two years ago I called a local solar panel provider and asked about installing them on my home. He told me the cost was prohibitive and that it wouldn't be worth it to me.

So, it appears that politics is the issue that decides which states get the "green jobs?" That pretty much leaves out the conservative, republican state of Utah.

water power in the canyons could be very cheep and is old tech. most green is cheap. wind power can be mechcaninal and it pumps water out of the ground all over the west already on ranches etc.

Here Cedar City, companies who look into relocating to the city ask if they are allowed to install solar panels or windmills and the city council has yet to okay either, under the grounds that they are ugly.

All this article really points out is that when governments find a pet project that there are pleanty of people ready to line up and get their handout.

If a state government offered up money for discarded boogers, people would line up to get the money.

What the article forgets to mention is that wind and solar receive over $20 MWh in subsidies, while coal receives around $1 MWh. Plus, coal and gas fired power plants produce power 24/7, while the renewables only produce power when the sun shines and the wind blows.

PV, thermal, and wind power produce clean free energy when the sun shines and the wind blows. Excess energy production can be fed back and sold to the utility (net metering). Utilities need to partner with sun and wind as a back-up supplier. Natural gas fired generation plants would work well in Utah.