We are thrilled to share that on November 19, 2024 Rocky Mountain Power submitted Part 1 of the Utah Renewable Communities (URC) Program Application to the Utah Public Service Commission!
To achieve our goal of providing a net-100% renewable electricity option to all Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) customers within the 19 participating communities, more renewable energy must be added to our electric grid.
If the Utah Public Service Commission approves this first part of the Program Application, URC will be able to open the doors to developers who want to build new clean energy projects for the URC Program. If approved, the URC Program could add half a gigawatt of new clean energy to the Rocky Mountain Power grid.
This is a major milestone for Utah Renewable Communities, bringing us one step closer to Program launch!
How We Got Here
Originally, URC planned to acquire new clean energy through Rocky Mountain Power’s 2022 Request for Proposals (RFP), since the utility has deep expertise in this arena. However, Rocky Mountain Power unexpectedly paused and then cancelled its RFP in April of 2024.
In response to this unexpected turn of events, URC stepped forward to design our own solicitation for new clean energy resources.
What’s Under Review
The submission to the Utah Public Service Commission includes a collection of solicitation documents that, if approved, will be used by URC to evaluate, score, and select clean energy resources for the URC Program.
While the cost of new resources is the primary consideration, the URC solicitation prefers projects that are located in Utah (in appropriate permitted locations), will provide fair wages to Utah workers, and consume little to no water.
What This Means for Utah and Our Communities
As underscored by Project Gigawatt, Utah is facing a worrisome energy shortage, as our energy supply is projected to decrease while demand continues to rise. Thankfully, URC is part of the solution: if the Utah Public Service Commission approves the resource solicitation and Program, URC should be able to add around half a gigawatt of new clean energy to the Rocky Mountain Power Grid by 2030. This new energy supply, when added to Rocky Mountain Power’s carbon-free energy mix, should match the amount of electricity consumed by participating Utah customers annually.
By adding clean energy to our electricity mix, URC will not only help close the gap between supply and demand, but will also reduce the amount of air pollution from power plants, improving our air quality and climate for generations to come.
What Comes Next
URC anticipates that Part 2 (the final part) of the Program Application will be submitted in January 2025. Once both parts of the Application are reviewed and approved by the Utah Public Service Commission, communities will decide whether to pass a participation ordinance, declaring their decision to remain in the Program.
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