Utah's energy resources
Utah is rich in energy resources, prominently featuring coal, oil, and natural gas. Over 75% of the state's electricity historically came from coal, although this reliance has decreased significantly in recent years; as of 2023, coal accounted for about 46% of electricity generation, marking a shift toward more diverse energy sources. The state is notable for having four of the largest oil fields in the U.S. and significant natural gas reserves, primarily located in the Uintah Basin. Additionally, Utah has seen growth in renewable energy, with wind power contributing roughly 10% to its energy mix in 2023, alongside geothermal and hydroelectric sources.
The state's energy infrastructure is complemented by five oil refineries and a network of compressed natural gas stations, serving both public and private vehicles. Utah is actively pursuing clean energy initiatives, aiming to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This includes ambitious goals for renewable energy contributions to its electric sales by 2025. With ongoing considerations for nuclear energy and a focus on education and public engagement, Utah is positioning itself as a proactive player in the modern energy landscape.
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Utah's energy resources
Summary: Utah has a wealth of available energy resources that include both oil and natural gas. More than 75 percent of all electricity used in the state is derived from coal-burning plants.
The western state of Utah is the thirteenth-largest of the American states. It covers 84,904 square miles, and water makes up 2,736 square miles of the state. The major rivers are the Colorado and the Green, and major lakes are Great Salt Lake, Lake Powell, and Utah Lake. Energy resources are abundant, and four of the one hundred largest oil fields in the United States are located within this state. There are also large deposits of oil shale rock (marlstone) that can be converted into crude oil. Natural gas deposits are readily available. In 2023, coal fueled roughly 46 percent of the state's net electricity generation. This marked a 75 percent decline from 2015.
In 2022, Utah consumed a total of 244 million British thermal units (Btu) of energy per capita. The use of wind power has also become more common in Utah, supplying roughly 10 percent of the state's renewable energy in 2023. That same year, coal produced approximately 46 percent of the state's electricity, down from 75 percent in 2015. The Utah Energy Council and the Governor’s Energy Adviser are the chief government entities involved with energy. The Division of Public Utilities monitors quality and recommends utility rates, and the Public Service Commission serves as a regulatory body in this area. Utah is involved in a number of regional groups that have an impact on the state energy sector, including the Rocky Mountain Clean Diesel Collaborative and the Western Regional Air Partnership.
In 2015, Utah consumed 330 trillion Btu of coal. At the same time, natural gas accounted for 240.9 trillion Btu of energy consumption in the state, biomass for 11.7 trillion Btu, and hydroelectric power for 7.2 trillion Btu. In 2015, less than 5 perecent of utility-scale net electricity generation came from renewable sources. Utah’s eight coal mines produced a total of 13.7 million short tons of coal in 2016, down from 27 million in 2001. In 2023, several of Utah's coal mines experienced temporary shutdowns due to reduced economic demand. That same year, coal production in Utah fell to the lowest levels in 49 years.
Oil production in Utah tripled between 2004 and 2014, but oil production in the state declined in 2015 and 2016 as crude oil prices dropped. Three of America’s largest oil fields are also located in Utah, and the state produces a little more than 1 percent of the US total. Utah has five refineries that process oil for the mountain states. Crude oil arrives from Canada via the Frontier Pipeline, and Wyoming and Montana transport refined oil products to Utah via the Pioneer Pipeline. In 2006, Utah had 5,146,000 million cubic feet of natural gas reserves, making up 2.4 percent of the US total. Most natural gas is found in the Unita Basin. The state has more than ninety compressed natural gas stations. Most are used to provide motor fuel to state and public vehicles, but twenty are open to the public. In 2016, Utah had the sixth-highest number of public-access compressed natural gas refueling stations in the United States Utah has no nuclear power plants, but the possibility of building one is under consideration. Utah is also home to the only operating uranium ore mill in the country. In 2021, Utah's electric power sector became the state's largest consumer of natural gas. By 2023, that sector accounted for roughly one third of the state's natural gas use.
After Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, state governors were required to submit letters of intent to show how they planned to spend funds earmarked for improving energy efficiency and affordability while actively pursuing clean energy. Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. noted that Utah had already passed energy reform laws and established goals for the state energy program that were designed to reduce Utah’s carbon footprint. He pledged to spend Utah’s share of funds to continue existing efforts while tightening building codes and providing training necessary to accomplish those goals. The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded grants of up to $1.2 million in 2010 that targeted improving energy use in commercial buildings. The University of Utah at Salt Lake City received one of those grants, to upgrade an existing building or design a new energy-efficient building. Utah also received funding for transformational energy research, focusing on cryogenic carbon capture. In December 2010, the US Department of the Interior and the DOE announced that Utah was one of the states considered ideal for further development of solar energy.
The focus of Utah’s energy plan for the twenty-first century is Utah’s energy initiative, which is concerned with encouraging energy efficiency and affordability and promoting energy conservation and the use of clean and renewable energy sources. Efforts to accomplish these goals range from converting to energy-saving lightbulbs and using energy-efficient appliances to designing and retrofitting buildings to operate on clean energy. Educating the public is considered a key factor in meeting clean energy goals in Utah. Utah established a voluntary goal of obtaining one-fifth of the state's 2025 adjusted retail electric sales from cost-effective eligible renewable energy resources.
The use of alternative energy sources is increasing rapidly in Utah, partially in response to tax credits provided to residents who convert to clean energy sources. In 2023, the state had five wind farms operating with nearly 400 megawatts of capacity, with an additional 80 megawatts of capacity under construction. The major wind projects are the Spanish Fork Wind Project in Utah County, Camp Williams at the Utah National Guard facility in Utah County, and Milford Wind Project.
Utah generates more than 327 megawatts of electricity from 177 turbines that include facilities at Flaming Gorge and Big Cottonwood Canyon. Many of the state’s generators are more than forty years old and do not reflect newer technologies. Unlike most states, Utah is able to generate electricity from geothermal sources. In 2023, Utah was one of seven states with commercial-scale geothermal electricity generation, which provided about one-fourth of Utah's net renewable electricity generation. Hydroelectric generators supply between one- and two-thirds of the state's net renewable electricity generation, depending on water availability. The state's sixty-three hydroelectric facilities are more than sixty years old on average.
Bibliography
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Bird, Lori, et al. Green Power Marketing in the United States: A Status Report. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2008.
“Energy Overview.” Governor's Office of Energy Development, energy.utah.gov/resource-areas/energy-information. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
U.S. Department of Energy. “Utah: State Profile and Energy Estimates.” U.S. Energy Information Administration, 17 Nov. 2016, www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=UT. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Utah.” www.eia.doe.gov/state/state-energy-profiles.cfm?sid=UT. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
Utah Foundation. “Utah’s Energy Use and Resources: Powering Our Standard of Living.” www.utahfoundation.org/img/pdfs/rr685.pdf. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.