Rocky Mountain Power now plans to burn coal until 2042; Climate scientist calls decision a 'drastic step backwards'
Last spring, Rocky Mountain Power said that it planned to retire its last two coal-fired plants in Utah by 2032. But in an update this week, the state’s largest electricity producer now looks to bu… Rocky Mountain Power, Utah's largest electricity producer, has updated its Integrated Resource Plan to keep its coal-fired plants in Huntington and Hunter running until their original retirement dates of 2036 and 2042 respectively. This decision has been welcomed by Utah lawmakers and criticized by climate experts and environmental groups as a significant setback. The company's parent company, PacifiCorp, now plans to transition over to fully renewable or non-carbon-emitting energy sources by 2050. However, Logan Mitchell, climate scientist and energy analyst for Utah Clean Energy, criticised the updated plan for relying on old, polluting technologies at a time when solar technology and batteries are becoming increasingly economically viable. He warned that the continued reliance on fossil fuels could cause lasting harm to the state's environment.
ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 4 อาทิตย์ที่แล้ว โดย Jonathon Sharp and Jonathan May ใน Science
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Last spring, Rocky Mountain Power announced that it planned to retire its last two coal-fired plants in Utah by 2032. But in an update this week, the state’s largest electricity producer now looks to burn coal for a decade longer.
It’s a move that’s being cheered by Utah lawmakers, even as climate experts and environmental groups see it as a significant setback.
PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, updated its Integrated Resource Plan this week, detailing that it’s now working to keep its coal-fired plants in Huntington and Hunter running until their original retirement dates of 2036 and 2042 respectively.
This marks a dramatic shift from last year, when PacifiCorp’s plan sought to retire both of the plants in 2032.
Behind the reversal was a development concerning federal regulations over the Ozone Transport Rule. In short, a lawsuit led to a court staying the enforcement of the rule in Utah, which would have capped how much coal the state could burn.
David Eskelsen, spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Power, said these planning changes in response to regulations are a normal part of business as the company works to provide reliable and reasonably priced energy to consumers across the American West.
“It’s part of our regular process to try to be nimble enough to alter our planning as necessary to reliably meet customer needs in the future,” he said.
Eskelsen noted that Rocky Mountain Power, which supplies electricity to customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, still aims to transition over to fully renewable or non-carbon-emitting energy sources by 2050.
Logan Mitchell, climate scientist and energy analyst for Utah Clean Energy, called PacifiCorp’s reversal on retiring its coal-fired plants in Utah a “drastic step backwards.”
He said the updated plan is relying on old, polluting technologies from which the country is shifting away at a time when solar technology and batteries are becoming increasingly economically viable.
“Instead of investing in new, cleaner, cheaper resources, we’re relying on trying to band-aid together these coal plants that have been around for 50 years,” he said, adding that the carbon-emitting Utah plants will require expensive upgrades to keep running.
HEAL Utah, an environmental group that promotes clean energy for Utah, is also calling for an accelerated transition to clean energy in the wake of Rocky Mountain Power’s decision.
The group said that Utah’s continued reliance on fossil fuels has the potential to cause lasting harm to the state’s environment.
State Rep. Colin Jack, R-St. George, said he was relieved to see PacifiCorp’s switch on the coal plants.
“One of the key things that we need to remember is that coal is the fuel that’s keeping the lights on here in Utah and the Western United States,” he said.
While Jack acknowledged that Rocky Mountain Power plans to phase out coal by 2050, he said that the resource replacing it — whether it’s solar, nuclear or something else — needs to be up and running before Utah ditches coal, a dirty but reliable resource.
He’s not the only lawmaker who thinks this way. In this year’s legislative session, Utah passed House Bill 224, which directs Rocky Mountain Power to continue to use coal-fired plants as a “proven dispatchable resource” to ensure low energy costs for Utahns.
The bill also aims to position Utah to be able to sell additional energy from coal plants to other states, as lawmakers foresee there’ll be increased demand for dependable energy as nearby states aggressively transition to cleaner resources.