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Residents urge Cottonwood Heights to join Utah Renewable Communities program; some express reservations
Summary
Multiple residents told the Cottonwood Heights City Council on May 5 that the voluntary Utah Renewable Communities program would let people choose renewable power; at least one former council member said he opposed joining as currently configured. The council did not vote on URC at the meeting.
Several Cottonwood Heights residents used the public-comment period at the May 5 city council meeting to urge the council to join the voluntary Utah Renewable Communities (URC) program — while one longtime local official said he remained opposed to the program as written.
Chester France told the council he supported URC and asked members to ‘‘give them that chance,’’ describing program projections he said Rocky Mountain Power had produced. ‘‘They show it's supposed to be $4.01… and then by 2030 it goes to $2.06,’’ France said, adding that some scenarios in the materials showed the fee dropping to ‘‘34¢ a month’’ once reserves were built.
Scott Bracken, who said he served on Cottonwood Heights’ city council for 19 years, praised local sustainability efforts but said he is ‘‘not in favor of joining the program as it is currently constituted’’ and criticized anonymous attacks on Council member Hyland. ‘‘An opt-out clause in no way equates to the same choice as an opt-in clause,’’ Bracken said.
Ken Garner, an electrical and power professional, urged the council to vote yes and described broad public support for renewables in national and local surveys. ‘‘I urge you to vote yes,’’ Garner said, and argued that extensive outreach and repeated opt-out notices would protect residents’ choices.
Jennifer Shaw, a longtime city resident and former planning commissioner, called URC ‘‘a critical step for meeting the goal of obtaining net 100 renewable energy for the community by 2030,’’ citing City resolution 2019-66. Shaw said the program is voluntary, warned that ‘‘we cannot join the URC later if we don't join this,’’ and argued the opt-out fee (she cited about $48 per year) was small relative to other tax decisions.
The council did not take any formal vote on URC during the meeting. Mayor Galen Bennion introduced fiscal expert Frank Nakamura to advise on budget items later on the agenda but no council action on URC was recorded in the minutes of this meeting.
Why it matters: URC would alter how residents can buy renewable power through community aggregation and could affect the city's progress toward a 2030 renewable goal referenced in prior city resolution 2019-66. Supporters emphasized choice and local environmental benefits; opponents flagged opt-out governance and ethical concerns about how default enrollment is presented.
What’s next: URC supporters urged the council to consider the program and the council may schedule further discussion; no formal council action on URC occurred at the May 5 meeting.
