Air thick with particulate pollution and fog hangs over Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. The AQI at the time was listed at 130 according to AirNow.gov, and the National Weather Service had issued a dense fog advisory. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
There’s $100 million dollars ready to be disbursed to Utahns next year. The only hurdle: the state must claim those funds first — before they’re gone for good. That’s a lot of money the state risks losing due to inaction. And they should claim it all for three simple reasons: inflation, health and families.
A federal government program has set aside $100 million for Utah to help families lower their utility bills by transitioning to clean, healthy, and energy-efficient buildings through the Home Energy Rebates (HER) Program. This offer has been on the table for over a year, but the Governor’s Office of Energy Development (GOED) has been slow in applying for this funding. While these funds sit idle, Utah families continue to struggle with rising energy costs.
I’m sure you’ve felt the squeeze of inflation these past couple of years. It’s hard to fathom anyone hasn’t. And Rocky Mountain Power would continue its chokehold if it could, recently proposing a 30% rate increase over the next two years — just to keep expensive coal plants open that will continue to pollute our air. Governor Cox has opposed these utility rate hikes, stating “I will do everything I can to make sure a rate increase of that magnitude never sees the light of day.”
At the same time, a clear solution exists to help Utahns lower their energy costs: investing in energy efficiency measures and transitioning to efficient electric appliances through the HER program. Appliances like heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters, and induction stoves use significantly less energy than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. These not only save money on energy bills but can also improve the value of our homes. They also produce zero direct pollution — helping to keep indoor and outdoor air clean.
If you are anywhere in the Wasatch Front you remember how terrible the air was just last week. I have a 3-year-old daughter, and her day care always takes kids outside for playtime, rain, snow or shine. But they obviously didn’t take them out last week, lest they expose their fragile lungs to the toxic fumes many Utahns have grown so accustomed to they simply call it winter inversion. A “natural” phenomenon that has at least as much to do with excess pollutants as with the valley’s geography.
And that’s where the HER program can help. Once implemented, this program will help families, like mine, make their homes more energy-efficient by sealing and/or upgrading windows and doors, help insulate whole homes, and switch to cleaner, healthier electric appliances.
The HER Program is a clear and impactful way for the Governor’s Office of Energy Development to align with its mission of protecting the well-being and quality of life for Utahns.
If that sounds good you might be asking, what is the problem? It is that Utah must submit its application to the Department of Energy (DOE) by Dec. 25, 2024, to secure this funding. If GOED fails to act, Utah risks missing out on $100 million. Other states have long since claimed their funds and launched their programs, helping families save money and improve their homes. Meanwhile Utah is falling behind, and we are all paying the price.
I understand that the Office of Energy Development has a lot to manage, but this issue is too important to put off. Utah families deserve better. We can’t let this funding slip away while so many are stuck with high bills and outdated systems.