Climate Utah Action Alert

Action alert!

Please call or write your Representatives and urge them to vote yes on HB420 - Halogen Emissions Amendments. This bill narrowly passed the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee 5-4 and now goes to the House floor for a vote.

HB420 builds off of a bill passed in 2023, which directed the Utah Division of Air Quality to inventory halogen emissions and develop a reduction plan and state standard for these pollutants. Chlorine and bromine are two halogens of particular concern because their interacting chemistry worsens wintertime inversions on the Wasatch Front by 10-25%. HB420 implements the pollution controls recommended by the DAQ. It would be a huge win for air quality along the Wasatch Front.

Stewardship Utah has a nice letter writing tool that you can use to write to your representative, or you can look up your district and contact information for your representative here. This ask is for House members only right now.

And another one!

Please urge your Representatives to vote no on HB378 - Department of Natural Resources Funding Amendments. This bill adds a new tax on solar and wind facilities of 1 megawatt or more on the Rocky Mountain Power system of $2,100 per kW of nameplate capacity (about 0.2%). It also adds a tax on DC transmission lines of 500 kilovolts (kV) of $10,000 per kV annually. It singles out the cleanest (and fastest-growing) electricity sources to penalize.

Tips for effective communication

As always, legislators respond best when we are respectful and appreciative, and when we are clear about what we are asking them to vote for or against. Include the bill number and title in the subject of the email. Put the ask in the first sentence, and include your address and contact information in your signature. 

Other bills to watch:

HB340 - Solar Power Amendments (Rep. Ward)

This bill removes permitting obstacles to small-scale "balcony" solar. It creates a new category of small portable solar generation devices that is exempt from interconnection requirements. The bill now goes to the Senate floor after passing committee and House floor votes unanimously.

HB525 - Clean Truck Amendments (Rep. Cutler)

This bill prohibits the DMV from registering certain pre-2010 heavy duty vehicles in non-attainment counties, and it provides a tax credit for heavy duty vehicles that meet emissions standards. This bill was just introduced this week and faces a tight timeline to make it through the process. If your representative is on the House Rules Committee, you might let them know that you want this one to get a committee assignment right away.

Bills of concern:

HB241 - Solar Power Plant Amendments (Rep. Jack)

This bill originally added new restrictions on utility-scale solar projects, requiring a minimum lot size and setbacks from property lines, residences, rivers, and streams. It has thankfully been amended so that now it doesn't ban anything, but just makes solar projects ineligible for state incentives if they are on irrigated cropland or other prime farmland. It passed committee and now goes to the House floor, but it no longer much of a concern. Well done to everyone who worked against this one!

You can check the current status of all the bills we are following on our legislative tracker.