HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL

August, September, October Interim Meetings 2024

Interim Work of the Legislative Action Corps

The Legislative Action Corps (LAC) of the LWVUT follows committees during the Legislative Interim to keep our membership informed so we can work together to influence public policy. 

This report focuses on discussions and actions during interim committee meetings relevant to the League of Women Voters priorities. These LWVUT priorities emphasize voting rights, improving elections, citizen participation, and transparency in government. In line with the national League of Women Voters, our Utah League also includes the following among its priorities: diversity, equity and inclusion, education, social and economic justice, natural resources, and reproductive rights. 

While closely watching interim committees, our observers keep LAC members informed and help the Utah League Board members anticipate bills likely to be introduced in the upcoming Legislative Session and to determine whether and when to call members to action in support or opposition.

A special thanks to all LAC members who contributed to this report! 

WE ARE WATCHING!

The LAC is closely watching discussions and bill requests on the topics listed below based on our observations of the 2024 Legislative Session, the Special Session held in Summer 2024, and the 2024 Interim Committee meetings.

Access to Voting

Utah introduced voting by mail in 2013 for its convenience, cost savings, and increase in voter access and turnout. During the 2024 Legislative Session, legislators introduced a number of bills that threatened voter access and participation. HB91, Voting Amendments and HB 214, Election Modifications would have added a new deadline for turning in ballots and required voters to request mail-in ballots rather than having them sent automatically. During the 2022 Legislative Session, Utah Republicans introduced HB 371, Voting Revisions which would have banned drop boxes, drive-thru voting, and community ballot collection, instituted a post-election audit process, and dismantled the mail-in voting system. 

Legislators have signaled their intent to enact significant electoral reforms in the coming legislative session. Driven by concerns about election oversight and transparency, legislators intend to propose the creation of an independent election office and overhaul the vote-by-mail system. During the 2024 Legislative Session, Rep. R. Wilcox introduced a HB 490, Elections Office, which would have established a new state Elections Officer with a director appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, House Speaker, and Senate President. That office would have ensured the independence of the elections office from the governor and lieutenant governor. The bill was held for improvements during the 2024 interim but will be a legislative priority in the upcoming session. 

Rep. T. Lee also plans to introduce a bill in 2025 requiring voters to request a mail-in ballot rather than having one sent automatically. Under the provisions of this bill, voters could opt-in to have mail-in ballots sent to them for future elections. Rep. K. Birkeland has opened a bill file that would only allow voters who have voted in the previous two to four elections to request a mail-in ballot.  

Government Transparency

In recent years, the Utah Legislature has supported bills and actions that have blocked government transparency. Over the last 10 years, Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act has increased the number of reasons for which public bodies can close meetings, and Utah’s GRAMA has been adjusted to allow for more records to be categorized as protected or confidential. Recent bills that limit transparency include HB 202, Student Athlete Amendments, which makes students’ NIL contracts exempt from Utah’s Open Records Act; SB 211, Generational Water Infrastructure Amendments, which exempts the Water Development Council from Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act; and SB 240, Government Records Access and Management Act Amendments, which exempted the calendars of public and elected officials from Utah’s open records laws.

The Utah State Records Committee, which hears appeals from individuals or groups requesting records from agencies that refuse to release the records, cannot currently meet because of too few members to form a quorum. Although Utah’s Governor has submitted names for replacing outgoing members, the Senate Business and Labor Confirmation Committee, which is tasked with approving new members, has delayed or refused to appoint them.

In early November and for the first time in Utah history, Republican members of the Utah State Board of Education met in a closed-door caucus. The 15-member public education governing board has two Democrats and thirteen Republicans. The super-majority caucus of the USBE potentially sets the precedent for holding discussions and making de facto decisions out of public view. 

State Challenges to the Federal Government

Signed into law on January 31, 2024, the Utah State Sovereignty Act allows the Utah Legislature by concurrent resolution “to prohibit a government officer from enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of a federal directive within the state if the Legislature determines the federal directive violates the principles of state sovereignty.” The law sets up a process for the state to overrule or otherwise ignore federal rules and decisions, but may not be constitutional. 

In August 2024, the Utah Legislature continued its fight against what it considers “federal overreach” by filing a lawsuit directly before the Supreme Court that claims the federal government’s ownership of 18.5 million acres of “unappropriated”’ federal public lands may be unconstitutional. Utah’s fight against the federal government may itself stand in conflict with the U.S. Constitution’s “Supremacy Clause,” which states that federal laws take precedence over state laws.

Public Education Funding

Utah has spent less on education per student than most states even as personal income has surged over the last two decades (Voices for Utah Children, October, 2024). In the last two legislative sessions, the state has approved redirecting over $80 million in public education funds to private schools and homeschooling through the Utah Fits All Scholarship (UFA). Utah’s Education Association (UEA), the state’s largest teachers’ union, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the UFA is unconstitutional because it redirects funds earmarked in the Utah Constitution for public education away from public schools.

The Utah Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the legislature to use income tax revenue for a broad range of state needs, including the Utah Fits All Scholarship, rather than using income tax exclusively for public K-12 education, higher education, and services for children and individuals with disabilities. Amendment A to the Utah Constitution to be voted on in the November 2024 general election. Amendment A was voided on Utah ballots for the legislature’s failure to meet the newspaper publication requirement of Article XXIII of the Utah Constitution. If the amendment had passed, the legislature had agreed to remove the state portion of the sales tax on food.

Opponents of Amendment A had argued that the language of the amendment was misleading, that it would have led to further underfunding of an already underfunded public education system. House Speaker Schultz indicated that the issues in Amendment A would be “addressed in the upcoming legislative session and future sessions” (Ben Winslow, Fox 13 News, October 9, 2024).

House Speaker, Mike Schultz, has stated that the legislature intends to increase Utah Fits All Scholarship funds in the upcoming legislative session: “27,000 students applied for voucher funding, but there was only enough money for 10,000 of them. ‘So we’re going to be looking to try to increase the opportunity for more of those students, more of those parents that want other options.’” Schultz said (Tim Vandenack, KSL.com, Nov. 19, 2024).

Ballot Initiatives 

During the 2024 session, legislators filed H.B. 284 Initiative Amendments, a bill contingent on the passage of a constitutional amendment, H.J.R. 14 Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution - Statewide Initiatives, that would have modified the vote percentage required to pass a statewide initiative that would impose a new tax or increase a tax rate from a simple majority to a 60% requirement. Although this bill did not pass, committee discussions made clear that many legislators support making passing an initiative in Utah more difficult by increasing the percentage threshold of required votes. Opponents of this bill consider how few initiatives have passed in Utah in the last 100 years; how few would have passed at all if the 60% threshold had been in place, and how the people of Utah are supposed to have equal power to legislature to legislate under the Utah Constitution. 

In a Special Session held in August 2024, the legislature proposed Amendment D to the Utah Constitution to be voted on in the November 2024 general election. Amendment D would have changed the existing constitutional protections that limit the legislature’s ability to amend government-reform initiatives. Amendment D was voided on Utah ballots because the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the legislature failed to meet the newspaper publication requirement of Article XXIII of the Utah Constitution; and because the language of the amendment was confusing and inaccurate.

Opponents of Amendment D believed that the Supreme Court’s decision appropriately interpreted the language of the Utah Constitution which gives voters the right to legislate by initiative without having the legislature disregard the people’s will when that initiative enacts a government reform. Legislative leaders expressed disappointment and characterized the court’s decision to void Amendment D as taking the decision “out of the hands of voters and paved the way for governance by initiative” (Katie McKellar, Utah News Dispatch, October 2024). 

Utah’s Judicial Selection Process

The Utah Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, outlines the process for appointing justices to the Utah Supreme Court. First, the governor nominates justices from a list created by a judicial nominating commission. The commission's composition and procedures are established by statute. Second, a majority of the Utah Senate must confirm the nominee. The Senate has 60 days to consider the appointment, and can convene in an extraordinary session if needed. Third, after at least three years on the court, justices are subject to a nonpartisan retention election every ten years. To be retained, the justice must receive more yes votes than no votes. If not, the justice's office becomes vacant on the first Monday in January after the general election. Justices must be at least 30 years old, United States citizens, Utah residents for five years, and admitted to practice law in Utah. The selection of judges must be based solely on fitness for office, without regard to political considerations.  

Utah lawmakers have been considering possible judicial reforms after the Utah Supreme Court’s decisions on an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit, and on voiding Amendments A and D which had been proposed to go before voters in the November 2024 general election. The Utah Supreme Court had also rejected the Utah Legislature’s request to overturn the preliminary injunction blocking SB 174, Abortion Prohibition Amendments, the state’s abortion Trigger Ban, from taking effect. The Trigger Ban had been passed by the Utah Legislature in 2020 and became effective when Roe V. Wade was overturned in the case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022.

Utah lawmakers have voiced their frustrations with these recent decisions of the Utah Supreme Court and are currently considering possible judicial reforms in retaliation for those decisions. These include electing judges, rather than merit appointments, imposing Utah Supreme Court term limits, and increasing the “transparency” on judges’ decisions in advance of retention elections. Some of these changes would require amendments to the Utah Constitution. Utah House Speaker, Mike Schultz told the Utah News Dispatch that legislative action could be forthcoming to bring reforms to Utah’s judicial branch (Katie, McKellar, Utah News Dispatch, August 2024).

Natural Resources Priorities

Matters concerning natural resources have wide overlap among a number of legislative committees. Because the LWVUT promotes a sustainable lifestyle to preserve a Utah environment beneficial to life, LAC observers with a focus on natural resources carefully monitor natural resource issues during the interim and the legislative session. LAC observers watch for bills that impact air quality, energy, transportation, public land, water, seismic issues, and climate change. Special areas of focus have been conservation of water and preservation of both Great Salt Lake and the Colorado River Basin waters. Water issues include bodies of water that feed into GSL and the Colorado River Basin and development efforts that are destructive to water bodies such as mining and inland ports.   

Natural Resource LAC Observers work to educate the league’s membership and the public on advocacy and manageable actions related to:

• Securing a balance of Utah’s water supply and demand; 

• Promoting clean energy solutions focused on protecting the environment, air quality, and climate;

• Defining clean energy as renewable energy sources that are safe for the environment such as geothermal, solar, wind, and possibly nuclear and new resources;

• Observing mining issues, as new mining may impact air quality and water pollution;

• Advocating for keeping public lands in public hands;

• Engaging local, state and national elected officials in serious discussion about the future of U.S. Public Lands per the National LWV’s position. 

Interim Committee Meeting Reports (August, September, October 2024)

Overview

The list of LAC reports below from interim committee meetings are references only to meetings in which committees discussed LWVUT legislative priorities. The full list, agendas, and recordings of interim committee meetings may be found here. 

Federalism Commission (August 19, 2024)

Rep. K. Ivory presented draft legislation on the presumption of “State Jurisdiction” V01 and answered committee questions. Rep. Ivory did not use this time before the committee to present the actual language of his proposed legislation so that committee members could discuss problems, possible solutions, agency responses, etc. The discussion lacked specificity and restated much of the philosophy and language of the Sovereignty Act passed during the 2024 Legislative Session but with application specifically to jurisdiction.

School Security Task Force Meeting (August 19, 2024)

Matt Pennington, State Security Chief, and members of the Security Task Force provided updates to the Education Committee focusing on how schools are responding to and meeting the requirements of HB84passed in 2024, and HB 61 passed in 2023. Task force members indicated that schools are having difficulty meeting requirements related to external security, identification of a School Guardian, and funding for hiring an SRO or Security Guard. Funds were not provided by the bill for hiring of personnel required to carry firearms. A waiver option has been described to schools who, because of small size of staff or funding concerns, are unable to hire an SRO or Security Guard, and do not have an individual or individuals on staff who meet the required criteria to become a Security Guard. 

Schools must complete a needs assessment before the end of the calendar year to evaluate gaps in safety. Shauntelle Cota, Director of School Safety and Student Services, indicated that the USBE has created a Utah School Safety Playbook to support Local Education Agencies (LEAs), or districts and charter schools, in understanding laws and policies surrounding school safety. 

Business and Labor Interim Committee (August 21, 2024)

SJR 401 - Proposal to Amend Utah constitution (Sen. Cullimore)

The proposal places a constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot which would allow the legislature to amend or repeal citizen initiatives. It would also prohibit foreign individuals, entities, or governments from influencing, supporting, or opposing an initiative or referendum. There were so many people at this meeting that at least two overflow rooms were set up. An extensive discussion took place, but only three public comments from each side were allowed. Some of the comments from the committee meeting and the Special Session are below:

For:

• The Supreme Court has created a new class of "super laws" resulting in governing powers being inappropriately taken from the legislature;

• Failure to pass would open the door to endless lawsuits challenging the legislature's right to amend laws;

• Without this amendment a flood of initiatives will come into our state, many funded by foreign money;

• Put the issue on the ballot and let the people decide how they want their government to be run; 

• This will make the law work the way we always thought it did (until the Supreme Court decision);

• We don't want to become California (this was mentioned several times).

Against:

• Legislators got the bill 24 hours ago - not enough time to research, debate, inform the public;

• The issue doesn't justify calling an emergency special session;

• There is already a process to allow changes to initiatives (but the intent cannot be altered);

• Sends a message that the public isn't capable of making decisions for themselves; 

• Countermands the will of the people;

• Moves in the wrong direction with rebuilding the public's trust in government.

A couple of other interesting comments:

In the House, Sponsor Teuscher said this "has nothing to do with redistricting."

In the Senate, Thatcher said he would be voting “No” because he didn't think the Supreme Court decision would prevent them from doing anything they can do now. 

The proposal passed out of committee 17-3, with Kwan, King, and Matthews voting No. 

The proposal passed the full Senate 20-8 (All Democrats and Thatcher voted No).

The proposal passed the full House 54-21. 

SB 4002 (Vickers) - creates a temporary process to allow SJR 401 to go on the next ballot. Passed.

SB 4003 - Statewide Initiative and Referendum Amendments

Contingent upon SJ401 becoming law, SB4003 would extend the referendum process (to obtain signatures) by 20 days. It would also require the legislature to give deference to citizen's initiatives. Sen. Cullimore said this was a "Kumbaya" bill. Passed.

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee (August 21, 2024)

Rocky Mountain Power Rates

Rocky Mountain Power was asked about their recent filing with the Public Service Commission to raise rates by 30% by 2026. The president of RMP, Dick Garlish, explained that their company has the burden of proof to justify the rate increase. Issues raised by committee members included whether increased costs were due to wildfires in other states, an increase in coal prices, and/or environmental policies in other states. (RMP operates in CA, OR, WA, ID, UT and WY.) The committee chairs asked RMP to explore a potential corporate structure where Utah and states with similar energy policies can operate independently of states such as CA, OR and WA. RMP will return with a preliminary report on restructuring in Nov. An article in the Salt Lake Tribune on 8/22 (page 13) covered this topic.

Wildfire Issues

Jamie Barnes, Dir. of the Div. of Forestry, Fire and State Lands gave an update on the wildfire season. So far, there have been 961 fires (544 human-caused) covering 50,000 acres. 93% of fires have been limited to 10 acres. The costs for the year are projected to reach $11 million. The Div. is considering joining a wildfire compact with other states that would provide access to more resources and information when needed. The committee noted that more money should be spent on prevention measures and after-fire landscape mitigation.

Review of Watershed Councils Act

The act was passed in 2020, and eleven watershed councils have been established. The GSL watershed council is in the works, but it is not clear how it will differ or interact with the many entities concerned with GSL. The goal of the councils is to provide local knowledge of water issues to state agencies. Rep. Chew was skeptical that they would be useful in the long-term, but Chair Sandall emphasized that the need to keep our focus on water. 

Review of Supreme Court Decisions

The Chevron Deference Rule has been overturned and courts are now the sole interpreters of statute. This ruling will have an impact on federal agencies' ability to enforce rules that are not explicitly defined in the law. 

The Good Neighbor Rule was an effort by EPA to hold states accountable for their ozone contributions to the level of ozone in neighboring states. The recent ruling allows states to ignore the EPA’s Federal Implementation Plan to mitigate ozone until the plan’s legality is decided in federal court. 

Federalism Commission (September 17, 2024)

Public Lands Rule
Lawyers from the Office of the Attorney General reported on the Utah suit questioning the newly announced Federal Public Lands Policy. North Dakota and Montana are joining Utah in the suit. Alaska is suing separately with a somewhat different issue. The discussion centered around Utah’s responsible public lands use and fears that allotting portions of these lands to non-profits will damage rural economies and lead to uncertain future actions by non-profits. Grazing, extractive industries, and transmission lines were mentioned. The federal government’s delay in permit transmission lines has been a frequent complaint affecting both sides of the debate on how to use public lands.

Rep. Ivory mentioned that cooperation between the federal government and Utah has diminished over the years. The committee finances considerable funds on legal research on establishing legal precedent about questions of federal lands. 

State Resource Management Plan
The State Resource Management Agency frequently presents to the Federalism Commission. The presentation in this meeting provided information that would be useful to the state in contesting federal action.

Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee (September 18, 2024)

The Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee heard reports on impacts of Utah residents registering their vehicles in other states to avoid Utah property taxes and on the property tax deferral and circuit breaker programs. Chris Stiltt, a legislative policy analyst, reported on the centrally assessed property tax process, which results in counties receiving varying amounts of money back from the state, which assesses and collects centrally assessed taxes. Sen. D. McCay, the committee chair, presented draft legislation aimed at reducing the impact of changing monies on counties. A bill file will be opened. 

A  bill, sponsored by Sen. L. Fillmore that would require a line on property tax valuation notices urging recipients who might be eligible for property tax deferral under the CB75+ rules to investigate was approved as a committee bill. 

A required yearly review of income tax credits, a continuing LWVUT concern, was presented by legislative staff. The committee seemed to feel that such a review was desirable, but members were advised to get in touch with staff if they had questions.

Government Operations Interim Committee (September 18, 2024)

Draft Legislation, Election Fundraising Amendments

Sen. Michael S. Kennedy, who was successful in his bid for Rep. John Curtis’ House seat, says he’s a “big fan” of legislators running for federal office because both he and Auditor John Dougall were not allowed to fundraise during the session. Auditor Dougall was also running for the 3rd District seat. Kennedy says they were on an unfair playing field because of the fundraising limitations (only 2 of the 11 running for this office weren’t allowed to fundraise). He wants to allow state officials running for federal office to raise funds during the session. He acknowledged that people would try to buy influence if legislators are allowed to fundraise. However, he also thinks the prohibition is an infringement on free speech. Auditor Dougall said it’s awkward because people outside the state could donate but those inside the state were prohibited from donating.

Election Records Amendments

Rep. N. Thurston provided an update regarding a committee bill file to address the availability of election documents for research purposes. He explained a current problem with statute where the record generated is categorized as protected and only available to auditors and judges. These records are later destroyed and are not available for research. The draft bill would provide clear guardrails on how election records may or may not be used; would protect voter identity; would prohibit access to original records; would allow the suppression of information where appropriate to protect a voter’s identity. Currently, if the legislature had a policy question related to the ballots, the legislature would not have relevant data. Draft legislation would allow an election clerk to maintain a copy of original cast vote records (scanned and then stored as a digital copy) for research purposes. The draft legislation would address who can use the records and under for what purposes. It is anticipated that elections clerks and their staff only would have access for the purpose of research only. This is a committee bill file, and Thurston got assigned to work on the bill. 

Population Data 

Rep. S. Gricius requested a population data review to discuss the differences between the Census Bureau and Utah Population Committee data. Gricius brought this question to the committee because Utah County is getting stiffed on transportation funding due to Census estimates not keeping up with Utah County growth. Gricius claimed that Census estimates for Utah County were 14,000 lower than the local estimate. “We add 2,000-4,000 people every year.” The Census is limited with city data to the Wasatch Front. While Census data is self-reported, UPC looks at departments of health, education, tax, and housing  to come up with its estimates. The question is whether Utah can come up with better ways to reach accurate data because both state and federal funding is dependent on that data.   

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee (September 18, 2024) 

Great Salt Lake 

Great Salt Lake Commissioner, Brian Steed, reported on the health of the lake. The south arm’s elevation is 4192.6 ft and the north arm’s is 4191.8. The differential between the arms is much lower than it has been. Salinity in the south arm is in the low range for brine shrimp and brine fly biology. Reservoirs in the GSL basin are ~80% full allowing water conservancy districts to release water to the lake [700,000 acre-ft total (700KAF) from Jordan Valley and Weber WCDs]. In addition, Compass Minerals has donated 200KAF and agreed to decrease water use if the lake reached critical levels. The conclusion is that we’re in pretty good shape, but mostly due to two record winters for snowfall. There was also discussion of replacing the rock and gravel berm between the arms of the lake with a more permanent structure and control of phragmites that consume 70KAF per year. 

State Water Policy Amendments

Draft legislation considers changes that mainly address ground water quality and regional water reuse. Several members suggested some revisions of the language.

Groundwater Levels 

State Engineer, Theresa Wilhelmsen, presented the analysis of 30 years of data on well water levels collected across the state. The results showed that 13% are stable or increasing, 137 in moderate decline (0-2.5 ft/yr) and 18 are in severe decline (2-4.8 ft/yr). In the most severe cases, water levels have declined 144 ft in 30 yrs. Water management plans are in use in several areas of the state and more may need to be implemented to prevent overuse of groundwater.

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee (October 16, 2024)

Energy Policy Framework

The Energy Policy Framework was presented comparing the costs of nuclear vs. renewable energy. The plan is to focus on emerging technologies, especially nuclear and geothermal.

Water

Rep. R. Ward introduced intent language for reporting on efficacy of the large appropriations for agricultural water optimization and secondary water metering. A motion to recommend the language was passed unanimously.

Candice Hasenyager, Director of the Div. of Water Resources, presented the preliminary results of the Status of Funds report. She stated that water infrastructure needs for drinking water ($38.2 billion), water quality ($15 billion) and irrigation ($6 billion) will cost ~$60 billion by 2060. Existing funding comes from local water suppliers and districts that include user charges, property tax revenue and impact fees; state sales tax of 1/16 of 1%; state appropriations and grants; and federal funding. A recent article covers this report in detail. 

Nathan Lunstad, Director, Division of Drinking Water addressed drinking water fees. There is a large backlog of needed improvements to public water systems (see above) and federal funding is expected to decrease in coming years. The state is considering several options for increasing funding through connection fees, usage fees and/or using general funds to fill the gaps. The Water Task Force has indicated its preference for the use of general funds.

Predator Control Programs

The Div. of Wildlife Resources reported on its predator control programs. They are focused on removing predators in mule deer fawn habitats. They are reducing the number of coyotes, cougars and black bears in those areas. Rep. Carl Albrecht stated that there are still too many coyotes around. 

There have been efforts to increase the number of large animal veterinarians practicing in rural areas. There is now a program to repay education loans for vets that practice in rural areas for 5 yrs. A new vet school at Utah State Univ. will be opening in 2026 with ~80 students in order to train more large animal vets and encourage them to locate in rural areas. 

Mineral Extraction Royalties 

The results of an audit on mineral royalty agreements showed that mineral extraction companies are not always following the rules in calculating royalties. It was recommended that the state utilize its authority to examine company records to accurately calculate royalties due.

Great Salt Lake

The Utah Lake Authority gave a review of progress on the lake. They are striving to connect local residents to the lake and have undertaken revegetation projects, invasive species removal and establishment of conservation easements in conjunction with many state agencies. 

Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee (October 16, 2024)

Housing and Housing Affordability

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute presented a report on housing affordability. They noted in the report that Utah’s population continues to grow and housing construction costs continue to increase. Utah has the 8th highest median price in the US for existing single-family homes as of 2024 Q1. Renters are stuck renting in Utah. In July 2024, 92.5% of renters were priced out of buying. Utah needs 150,000 new housing units by 2030 to meet projected needs. Today’s shortage is 37,000 housing units.  

The Commission on Housing Affordability (which is made up of two legislators along with cities, UTA, home builders, developers, etc., discussed that they are looking at data and trying to come up with some solutions that they will present to this interim committee in November for possible legislation. 

Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee (October 16, 2024) 

Statutorily Required Strategic Energy Plan

OED Dusty Monks presented on Utah's Strategic Energy Plan, including the need for the plan and its priorities, goals, and focuses as the state approaches increasing energy needs. The plan centers around people, as opposed to other states’ plans that set goals for specific resources. HB 374, State Energy Policy Amendments, codified the principles of the plan in 2024. Mr. Monks demonstrated the system costs as if we were to power our system on 100% solar, wind, and battery storage, compared to adding a firm source, in this case, nuclear. OED will release a detailed report at the end of month on this data. Sen. Blouin asked about energy efficiency. The $100M grant will focus on energy efficiency in homes (from IRA). The presentation cited time of use rates and reduction in volatility using battery storage. Monks stated that there is a crisis coming, and we can't conserve our way out of it. Chair Albrecht stated that energy is going to be a big-ticket item in the 2024 Legislative Session.