Good comments from all three speakers -- even Kimball, with whom I rarely agree! The bottom line is that the energy market really isn't a "free market" but a policy driven enterprise that takes its marching orders from regulators and policy makers. Thus, as Kimball notes, if coal-fired power plants had target dates in which they needed to go off line, that would provide the utilities time to find cleaner replacements.

The key issue here in Utah is that our economically viable coal reserves are steadily dwindling, and within the lifetime of our high-school aged population, they will see coal-fired power dwindle in this state simply because Utah won't have sufficient supplies to feed its current coal-fired fleet. I've heard Nielson say that she hopes Utah will NOT import coal from Wyoming, and coal executives have said to me that the railroad are the villians here with their jacking up rates to move coal (because there is no alternative).

Wright's group promotes energy efficiency and renewables, and they must be a major component of Utah'e energy future. Wind is clean and brings tax dollars for schools and rural communities, for example.

All "cap and trade" accomplishes that emissions limits don't is it creates a 3rd party market for entrepreneurs to make money while contributing NOTHING to society. It's ripe for corruption. It is unnecessary governmental interference.

Why not just have emissions limits? Why the slight-of-hand?

Nuclear power is the clear answer to America's large scale electrical needs.