Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Sunshine MWs
Posted By Babs De Lay on November 16, 2022, 4:00 AM
With the cost of utilities rising, more homeowners are considering converting to solar to get free energy from the sun and even store some for emergencies. There are any number of companies out there looking to get your hard-earned dollars to install their brand of solar products—some better than others.
Solar energy collection isn't new to Utah. With a 3 megawatt (MW) capacity, the Buckhorn Solar Plant in Paragonah is one of the newest solar installations in Utah. It has the capacity to power more than 589 homes. The Utah Red Hills Renewable Energy Park was completed in 2016. This photovoltaic project has the capacity to generate enough power to feed over 20,419 homes.
Best of all, several large retailers have gone solar, including Ikea, Patagonia and Uinta Brewing Co. The state of California has installed the greatest capacity by far of solar photovoltaic power in the U.S.
The big news for our state is that a Utah company is partnering with PacifiCorp smack dab in the middle of coal country to build the state's biggest solar "farm" with a battery storage facility. The farm will sit on about 3,200 acres near the small town of Moore in Emery County—just south of Castle Dale and Huntington. The project—known as the Green River Energy Center—will generate 400 MW from the farm and 200 MW from a battery storage facility. The location was chosen because of the amount of sunshine the area receives and also because of its proximity to major transmission lines from nearby coal/power plants.
Unfortunately, Emery County's Lila Canyon coal mine caught fire on Sept. 20, and experts say the flames could smolder indefinitely, which would close the mine forever. The owners will try to drill and flood the mine with water and foam, because the feds won't let anyone go down into the mine while it's on fire. This sucks for Rocky Mountain Power, as the two largest power plants in Emery County have now lost access to one of their biggest coal suppliers.
The quality of Utah's coal is highly desirable, and not just in Utah. Our coal is shipped around the world. But the best quality coal is found in Wyoming—the nation's leading coal producer since 1986. Our neighbors provide roughly 40% of the country's coal through the top 10 mines in the cowboy country of Powder River Basin. They, too, are developing solar alternatives, as Green River, Wyoming, now has its first solar project, called Sweetwater. It's expected to generate enough clean energy to power 12,000 homes per year.
The website energysage.com/local-data/solar-companies/ut is a wealth of information, with the history of solar policies in Utah as well as info on state government energy programs, energy-saving strategies, the state's solar policy, solar installers and solar companies, energy statistics, solar incentives and rebates and up-to-date pricing data.
You can actually search other states on the same website.
But do be careful in researching solar options—there are, unfortunately, many scammer's greedy for your money!
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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