To achieve the goal of net-100% renewable electricity for community consumption by 2030, Salt Lake City is working with 18 local governments across Utah to develop and launch the Utah Renewable Communities Program.
100% Renewable Energy Community Goal
Under a Mayor-Council Joint Resolution, Salt Lake City has ambitions to power the community with net-100% renewable electricity by 2030. This means by 2030, Salt Lake City plans to match the amount of electricity consumed by all the homes, businesses, and industries in Salt Lake City with renewable energy generation on an annual basis.
Powering the community with net-100% renewable electricity is an essential step towards a robust clean energy future for Salt Lake City. Details on Salt Lake City’s renewable energy and carbon reduction goals are available in our Climate Positive 2040 plan.
The most streamlined way to achieve the net-100% renewable electricity goal is by working with our electric utility provider, Rocky Mountain Power (RMP), to add more large-scale renewable energy resources – like solar, wind, and geothermal — to the grid that powers our community.
Utah Renewable Communities
In 2019, the legal framework to make this happen was established when the Utah Legislature passed the Community Renewable Energy Act (HB411), which was amended in 2024 and is now called the Community Clean Energy Act. This first of its kind legislation in the country authorizes and defines the rules, rates, and steps necessary to create a community renewable energy program.
In 2020, Salt Lake City and other cities, counties, and towns across Utah began using this framework to develop what is now called the Utah Renewable Communities (URC) Program. Today, a coalition of 19 communities, called Utah Renewable Communities (URC), are currently signed on to participate in the Program.
Once it launches, the URC Program will give Rocky Mountain Power customers in Salt Lake City and other participating communities the choice to supplement their current electricity mix with renewable energy options at a minimal cost increase. The initial program rate acceptable to URC would add no more than $3 to $4 per month for the average residential bill. By law, the URC Program is an opt-out program, meaning Salt Lakers will be automatically enrolled in the Program but may opt themselves out if they prefer to not participate.
Since its formation, URC has been working with Rocky Mountain Power to develop the URC Program Application: a collection of documents that describe how the Program will work, including how much it will cost, when it will launch, who will be eligible, and more. As required by the Community Clean Energy Act, the Program Application must be approved by the Utah Public Service Commission before the Program can take effect.
On February 24, 2025, Rocky Mountain Power filed the Program Application with the Public Service Commission on behalf of the 19 local governments participating in Utah Renewable Communities. If the Commissions approves the application, the Salt Lake City Council will have the opportunity to adopt a local ordinance to move forward with the program which is anticipated to launch in 2026.
Salt Lake City’s URC Board Members
Utah Renewable Communities, also known as the Community Renewable Energy Agency, is made up of government representatives from all 19 participating communities. Each participating community may appoint two people to sit on the Board: a primary board member, who is an elected official, and an alternate board member, who can be an elected or appointed official or a staff member.
Salt Lake City’s primary board member, Council Member Dan Dugan, is also the Chair of the URC Board. The City’s alternate board member is Christopher Thomas, the Senior Energy & Climate Program Manager in the Department of Sustainability. Christopher also leads URC’s Program Design Committee.
The URC Board meets once a month, typically on the first Monday of each month, to discuss how to design the program and inform the program application. These meetings are open to the public. Learn more and sign up to receive notices of upcoming meetings on the Utah Public Meeting Notice Website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are some ways I can help advance progress towards community goals?
You can help by reducing energy waste in your homes and businesses, a step that cuts carbon pollution and saves you money. Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy both offer a variety of energy efficiency incentives for their customers. Installing renewable energy on your property also moves us closer to achieving a net-100% renewable community target. For more tips, check out our What You Can Do page and also follow SLCgreen on social media and through our weekly e-newsletter.
What does “net-100%” renewable electricity mean?
Salt Lake City has a goal to be powered by renewable electricity on a “net-100%” annual basis. This means that the total electricity needs of the community over the course of the year are met by a comparable amount of total renewable energy generation. Energy storage and associated technologies are also allowed by the legislation but are not a necessity to maintain power reliability when the sun doesn’t shine or wind doesn’t blow. Participating communities will still likely rely on general system resources to some degree, including power from fossil fuels, although we expect the creation of new renewable energy resources to result in sizable carbon emissions reductions.
Will the Utah Renewable Communities Program require me to install renewable energy (e.g., solar panels) on my property?
No. The net-100% renewable electricity goal does not require the installation of any renewable energy resources on private property in participating communities. Renewable energy resources envisioned with this program are mostly “utility-scale” in size. Individual customers wishing to install renewable energy on their property can still do so, but only if desired.
Do I have to participate in the Utah Renewable Communities Program or can I stay on standard Rocky Mountain Power rates?
All local customers will have the ability to “opt-out” and stay on standard electricity rates. The Community Clean Energy Act details a number of minimum customer noticing requirements, including providing two dedicated notices with information on anticipated rates and rules of the program. The Act also requires there be at least three billing cycles once the program begins where customers will be able to move back to Rocky Mountain Power standard service without paying a $30 termination fee.
The URC Board wants to double the initial opt-out period to six billing cycles and waive termination fees for qualifying low-income customers.
How will participating in the Utah Renewable Communities Program impact costs on my electric utility bill?
Utah Renewable Communities anticipates a small rate increase, but an exact amount is not known at this time. The initial program rate acceptable to URC would add no more than $3 to $4 per month for the average residential bill.
To support low-income households, the Program proposes automatic bill credits for customers already receiving monthly assistance through Rocky Mountain Power to help offset any additional program cost. Additionally, the URC Board wants to waive termination fees for qualifying low-income customers who choose to opt-out of the program after the initial opt-out window closes.
Didn’t answer your question?
Find more FAQs on the URC website at utahrenewablecommunities.org/faq or reach out to us at slcgreen@slc.gov or call 801-535-7761.