Utah Code 79-6-301. State energy policy
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(1) It is the policy of the state that:
Terms Used In Utah Code 79-6-301
- Adequate: means an amount of energy sufficient to continuously meet demand from under normal conditions, not including planned outages and temporary service disruptions. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Affordable: means priced to be accessible to the population without causing financial strain or compromising basic needs, quality of life, or well-being. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Clean: means minimizing adverse environmental impact and able to meet state standards for environmental quality. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Dispatchable: means available for use on demand and generally available to be delivered at a time and quantity of the operator's choosing. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Intermittent: means available for use on a variable basis that is dependent on elements outside of the control of the operator. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Office: means the Office of Energy Development created in Section
79-6-401 . See Utah Code 79-6-102 - Person: means :(24)(a) an individual;(24)(b) an association;(24)(c) an institution;(24)(d) a corporation;(24)(e) a company;(24)(f) a trust;(24)(g) a limited liability company;(24)(h) a partnership;(24)(i) a political subdivision;(24)(j) a government office, department, division, bureau, or other body of government; and(24)(k) any other organization or entity. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
- Reliable: includes , for systems delivering electricity, the ability to provide electricity at the proper voltage and frequency. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- Secure: means protected against disruption, tampering, and external interference. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
- Sustainable: means domestically sourced and able to provide affordable, reliable energy in adequate quantities for current and future generations without compromising economic prosperity or environmental health. See Utah Code 79-6-102
- United States: includes each state, district, and territory of the United States of America. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(1)(a)(1)(a)(i) Utah will develop its energy resources and plan its energy future with a focus on human well-being and quality of life, recognizing that reliable access to energy is vital for human health, adaptation, economic growth, and prosperity;(1)(a)(ii) Utah shall have energy resources that have the following attributes, listed in order of priority:(1)(a)(ii)(A) adequate;(1)(a)(ii)(B) reliable;(1)(a)(ii)(C) dispatchable;(1)(a)(ii)(D) affordable;(1)(a)(ii)(E) sustainable;(1)(a)(ii)(F) secure; and(1)(a)(ii)(G) clean; and(1)(a)(iii) Utah shall encourage the construction and use of energy systems that balance the criteria described in Subsection (1)(a)(ii) while giving priority to the criteria in the order they are listed in Subsection (1)(a)(ii);(1)(b)(1)(b)(i) Utah shall foster market-based solutions to:(1)(b)(i)(A) meet current and future energy demands;(1)(b)(i)(B) protect proven technologies; and(1)(b)(i)(C) minimize political uncertainties in pursuing energy development and strategy;(1)(b)(ii) Utah shall promote the development of a diverse energy portfolio, including:(1)(b)(ii)(A) dispatchable energy resources, including natural gas, coal, oil, and hydroelectric;(1)(b)(ii)(B) nuclear power generation technologies certified for use by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission including molten salt reactors producing medical isotopes;(1)(b)(ii)(C) intermittent energy resources, including solar and wind;(1)(b)(ii)(D) clean energy sources by considering the environmental impact, including emissions, of an energy resource throughout the entire life cycle of the energy resource; and(1)(b)(ii)(E) increased refinery capacity; and(1)(b)(iii) Utah shall encourage innovation in the development of energy resources, including:(1)(b)(iii)(A) emerging energy resources, including geothermal, biomass, biofuel, oil shale, and oil sands;(1)(b)(iii)(B) alternative transportation fuels and technologies; and(1)(b)(iii)(C) energy storage, pumped storage, and other developing energy systems, including hydrogen from all sources;(1)(c)(1)(c)(i) Utah shall streamline state regulatory processes to balance economic costs with the level of review necessary to ensure protection of the state’s interests; and(1)(c)(ii) Utah shall encourage expedited federal action and will collaborate with federal agencies to expedite review;(1)(d)(1)(d)(i) Utah shall maintain an environment that provides for stable consumer prices that are as low as possible while providing producers and suppliers a fair return on investment, recognizing that:(1)(d)(i)(A) economic prosperity is linked to the availability, reliability, and affordability of consumer energy supplies; and(1)(d)(i)(B) investment will occur only when adequate financial returns can be realized;(1)(d)(ii) Utah shall assess the utility value of each prospective energy resource to meet the state’s increasing demands including:(1)(d)(ii)(A) a market analysis with and without government subsidies; and(1)(d)(ii)(B) the total system impact of an energy resource;(1)(d)(iii) Utah shall provide support for the innovation, research, and development of new energy resources and promote the development of resources and infrastructure sufficient to meet the state’s growing demand and to contribute to the regional and national energy supply, thus reducing dependence on international energy materials; and(1)(d)(iv) Utah shall allow market forces to drive prudent use of energy resources, although incentives and other methods may be used to ensure the state’s optimal development and use of energy resources in the short- and long-term;(1)(e) Utah shall promote the development of resources, tools, and infrastructure to enhance the state’s ability to:(1)(e)(i) maintain adequate supply, including reserves of proven and cost-effective resources to meet demand;(1)(e)(ii) ensure the state’s energy independence by promoting and prioritizing the use of energy resources generated within the state; and(1)(e)(iii) respond effectively to significant disruptions to the state’s energy generation, energy delivery systems, or fuel supplies;(1)(f)(1)(f)(i) Utah shall research and develop in consideration of the complete life cycle of an energy resource including mining, transportation, consumption, disposal, and reclamation;(1)(f)(ii) Utah shall promote the development of a secure supply chain from resource extraction to energy production and consumption; and(1)(f)(iii) Utah shall, in accordance with the policy principles described in this section, support the construction of infrastructure to encourage:(1)(f)(iii)(A) energy development;(1)(f)(iii)(B) diversified modes of energy transportation;(1)(f)(iii)(C) greater access to domestic and international markets for Utah’s resources; and(1)(f)(iii)(D) advanced transmission systems;(1)(g) Utah shall pursue energy conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental quality; and(1)(h) Utah shall promote training and education programs developed by the office, focused on developing a comprehensive understanding of energy, including:(1)(h)(i) programs addressing:(1)(h)(i)(A) supply and demand;(1)(h)(i)(B) energy related workforce development;(1)(h)(i)(C) energy efficiency; and(1)(h)(i)(D) energy conservation; and(1)(h)(ii) energy education programs in grades kindergarten through grade 12.
(2) Governmental entities, the Public Service Commission, electric corporations, and gas corporations shall conduct activities consistent with Subsection (1).
(3) A person may not file suit to challenge a state agency’s action that is inconsistent with Subsection (1).