• Solar
The solar resource in Utah is simply world-class. This has been established in multiple studies and government actions, including the Western Renewable Energy Zones report, the Utah Renewable Energy Zones reports and, most recently, by the Department of the Interior’s designation of three solar energy zones in the state. To date, solar in Utah has been distributed in nature, meaning that it has typically taken the form of 1-kilowatt-to-1.5-megawatt installations on homes and businesses to offset their load. It’s an exciting time for solar in Utah!
• Wind
The wind resource in Utah has been developed to a greater extent than solar, and the state boasts two successful wind projects: a 19-megawatt project in Spanish Fork and a 306-megawatt project near Milford. While the high-value wind resources are concentrated in the southwest portion of the state, including, among others, Millard, Beaver and Iron counties, there are smaller pockets of prime wind resource scattered throughout the state, particularly in San Juan and Box Elder counties, but also in isolated canyon mouths, ridges and other sites where dramatic topography produces valuable resource.
• Geothermal
Utah is one of just a half-dozen or so states with a developable utility-scale geothermal resource and currently is ranked No. 4 with respect to total geothermal production, with about 70 megawatts of nameplate capacity. The Office of Energy Development’s partners at the Utah Geological Survey have extensively mapped the state’s geothermal potential — and it is immense. However, given the high cost of exploratory drilling necessary to “prove” the resource, Utah can expect to see cautious, if steady, growth in this unique baseload renewable resource.
• Hydro
Just as in every region in the United States, Utah’s hydroelectric fleet is essentially fixed, as very little new hydro facilities are being deployed due to the concerns of conservationists. However, there are still a great deal of opportunities for smaller applications known as “micro-hydro” and there’s always the potential for upgrading existing facilities to improve efficiencies and lengthen the life of equipment.
• Biomass
Due to the breadth of potential biomass resources — woody material and other plant-based resources, solid and liquid municipal solid waste, residual material from food processing, etc. — the resources are still being quantified and assessed, as are the options for utilization. Certainly, many wastewater treatment plants are already capturing methane and generating electricity to offset their load and incineration provides a tried-and-true option for municipal solid waste. But in terms of waste utilization, we have only scratched the surface. As for plant-based materials, there are a wide variety of uses — from co-firing with coal to generating bio-oils, or, even outside of the energy arena, to the production of plastics or soil amendments.