16 Utah Cities Choose Clean Energy for 370,000 Residents

Utah just took a major step toward cleaner air and locally generated renewable energy, and it's happening because communities chose to make it happen.

Sixteen cities and counties across Utah have officially joined the Community Clean Energy Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative that pools resources to build new solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric projects right in the region. Salt Lake City, Ogden, Park City, Moab, and a dozen other communities representing 20% of Utah's power customers signed on by the June deadline.

The program works through voluntary participation. Residential customers will pay an extra $4 monthly starting after January 1, 2025, with businesses paying based on their energy use. That money funds construction of new renewable energy sources specifically for participating communities.

Rocky Mountain Power will manage the program, and officials hope the first new clean energy sources come online by 2028 or 2029. The utility received proposals last year for solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric projects in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, and has narrowed them to a short list of finalists.

Glade Sowards, senior energy and climate program manager for Salt Lake City, says the strategy is to start small and grow as participation stabilizes. "We'd love for everyone to stay in the program, but we understand it's a matter of choice," he explains. "We want the people who remain in the program to be there because they want to be."

The Ripple Effect

This program demonstrates what's possible when local governments give residents the power to choose their energy future. Born from 2019 state legislation aimed at boosting renewables and reducing carbon reliance, it transforms individual monthly contributions into community-scale clean energy infrastructure.

The more households that participate, the faster new renewable capacity gets built. That means cleaner air for Utah's valleys, more locally generated power, and reduced dependence on distant energy sources. Communities are planning their own outreach efforts to help residents understand the program's benefits.

Customers have until May 1, 2025 to opt out without penalty after receiving formal notices. After that window, anyone wanting to leave pays a $30 termination fee. The approach ensures people who stay are genuinely committed to supporting renewable energy expansion.

Three eligible communities chose not to participate: Coalville, Cottonwood Heights, and Kearns. But the 16 that did represent a powerful collective choice to invest in cleaner energy for the next generation.

When communities come together around shared values, real change becomes possible at a scale individuals can't achieve alone.