/ Al Hartmann / The Salt Lake Tribune file photo
By Brian Maffly | The Salt Lake Tribune
New polling suggests that Utahns support by a wide margin early retirements for Rocky Mountain Power’s coal-fired power plants in favor of using renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Commissioned by Western Resource Advocates, the poll found that voters support a speedier transition to cleaner energy by a margin of 53% to 33%. The findings run counter to Utah political leaders’ persistent claims that wind and solar aren’t as reliable as fossil energy because of their intermittency and that coal keeps Utah electrical bills among the nation’s lowest.
“Renewable resources like wind and solar are now less expensive than other forms of electricity generation across much of the West, and battery technologies complement these renewable resources by storing electricity for when it is needed most,” said Julianne Basinger, senior communications manager for Western Resource Advocates’ Clean Energy Program.
