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Moab council adopts Community Clean Energy Program, adds low-income protections
Summary
The Moab City Council voted 5-0 to adopt ordinance 2026-09 to join Utah's Community Clean Energy Program, which will automatically enroll customers with a roughly $4 monthly participation charge and include fee waivers and bill credits for qualifying low-income households.
The Moab City Council on April 28 voted unanimously to adopt ordinance 2026-09, joining the state's Community Clean Energy Program and authorizing automatic enrollment of most residential and nonresidential Rocky Mountain Power customers.
City staff said the program will appear on participating customers' bills as an approximate $3.88 monthly participation fee plus a $0.12 surcharge to fund low-income assistance, for a total near $4 per month for most residential accounts. "They would have a $3.88 charge in a month'...and then there would be a 12' surcharge that would fund the low income program for a total of $4 a month," said Alexi, the staff presenter. Low-income customers enrolled in qualifying programs will receive bill credits that offset the fee so their net cost is $0.
Why it matters: supporters said the program gives Moab a practical tool to increase renewable generation and aligns with the city's existing climate goals. "Tonight is about turning long standing goals into measurable action," said Kalen Jones during public comment, urging the council to approve the ordinance. Staff said participation will help finance new local renewable projects and spread startup costs across a larger customer base.
How it will work: cities that join are represented on a procurement board that solicits projects; Rocky Mountain Power will collect the small monthly charge and channel funds to build and administer resources. Customers will receive two mailed notices and up to six fee-free billing cycles to opt out before fees appear; after that, the termination fee if they withdraw later will be $30. The ordinance includes exceptions for certain legacy net-metering schedules that are not compatible with automatic enrollment and includes outreach and targeted assistance to help low-income residents access bill credits.
Council members asked about oversight and reporting. Staff said the Utah Renewable Communities board will continue post-adoption procurement work and that participating jurisdictions will have access to project and spending information. Nonresidential accounts will see variable increases depending on usage; staff used the city center and the MRAC (recreation facility) as examples, estimating roughly $6.28 and $156 per month respectively for those specific facilities.
The vote: The council adopted the ordinance by voice vote, 5-0. Staff will carry out prescribed customer notices and low-income outreach prior to the program's billing start, currently expected near early 2027.
Next steps: staff will coordinate outreach, notify the public of opt-out periods and continue to work with the Utah Renewable Communities board on procurement and reporting.
