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Salt Lake City Council adopts opt-out Community Clean Energy ordinance
Summary
The council unanimously adopted an ordinance to enroll Salt Lake City in a Community Clean Energy Program that will automatically offer a renewable-energy option to most customers on an opt-out basis; the program is estimated to start at $4 per month for residential customers and offers no-cost participation for qualifying low-income customers.
Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance enacting a Community Clean Energy Program that will automatically enroll most residents and businesses in a new renewable-energy option on an opt-out basis.
Council policy analyst Michael Sanders introduced the proposal, saying the program would provide a new choice for customers through their power bill and that the initial residential cost would be about $4 per month. Sanders said low-income customers who qualify for and are enrolled in city heating or utility-assistance programs would be able to participate at no cost. He explained there will be a notification and free opt-out period and that a fee would apply to customers who leave the program after that initial window.
The program drew public support from Josh Kraft, who said he represents Utah Clean Energy and identified himself as a resident of District 5. "It is a tremendous opportunity to bring online renewable energy resources, clean energy resources at scale," Kraft said, urging the council to adopt the ordinance and commending staff for designing an affordable option with an opt-out mechanism.
A council member who spoke during debate described the measure as "one big step" toward cleaner air and noted it will bring new renewable energy onto the grid sooner than projected by utilities. The speaker also referenced the program’s potential to help communities hosting the 2034 Winter Olympic Games demonstrate emissions reductions.
The ordinance, described in the meeting as Title 9, Chapter 50 of the Salt Lake City Code, passed 5 to 0 with two council members absent. The council was briefed on the proposal previously on 04/14/2026. The ordinance’s implementation timeline and customer-notification schedule were not specified during the meeting.
