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Utah House passes measures aimed at protecting state control of energy policy
Summary
The House approved two energy bills on Feb. 17, 2023: HB4 25, framed as a shield against federal mandates on power generation, passed 58-12; HB4 26, creating a statewide energy strategy and research fund, passed 67-1. Sponsors said the measures protect affordable, reliable, dispatchable power while critics warned of trade-offs for interstate power sharing and rate impacts.
The Utah House on Feb. 17 approved competing pieces of energy legislation intended to assert state authority over power production while promoting longer-term planning and research.
Representative Mark Ivory, sponsor of House Bill 4 25, framed the measure as a response to federal regulatory pressure. "I was in Dallas, Texas in February of 2021 when the lights went out... It was 246 people died," Ivory said, arguing the bill defends state jurisdiction and seeks to preserve "affordable, reliable, dispatchable, and secure" energy for Utahns. The bill language emphasizes protecting in‑state energy supplies and allowing state-level legal intervention when federal rules threaten plant retirements.
Supporters, including representatives from rural districts, said the bill is…
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